LOI Chapter 41 — Go Have Your Fun

The commotion on Weibo had been going on for quite a while now. The hashtag #Yan Zhi Love Confession# was prominently displayed at the top of the trending list, followed by a deep red “explosion” icon.

It was proven once again that netizens were basically melon-eaters at heart, flocking to wherever there was drama. Opening the comments section of Yan Zhi’s Weibo post revealed enthusiastic netizens of various backgrounds, harmoniously coexisting in the same comment section for the first time.

[Wuwuwu, I don’t care, this is definitely an official announcement!]
[Wifey is so cool, actually confessing love in a high-profile way!]
—Rong Yan Forever CP fans boldly occupying the top comments

[YZ is hubby material, right? He’s so alpha, I’m swooning.]
[I confess, I’ve switched ships.]
—Cough Syrup CP fans quietly emerging

[Damn it, is my CP going to be BE¹?]
[RK hasn’t replied yet, I still have a glimmer of hope.]
[I only ship the characters, this can’t hurt me, hehe.]
—Fans shipping Rong Ke or Sha Ya with others

[Our Keke is just that amazing.]
[I approve of YZ’s words, he’s the one who revived Ke-bao’s career.]
—Rong Ke’s career fans

[Ugh, I’ve been dumped.]
[I can accept RK, he’s not beneath our beauty god.]
—Yan Zhi’s looks-obsessed fans

[This guy’s so brave, is this the power of being the crown prince?]
[That tattoo though, lol. Respect and blessings.]
[Curious how RK will react.]
[Thank goodness my idol wouldn’t do something like this, or I’d have a heart attack.]
—Passers-by

Jiang Si irritably scrolled through Yan Zhi’s comment section, his mind a tangled mess.

Thinking back, he realized he had never witnessed any intimate gestures between Rong Ke and Yan Zhi without their knowledge.

If Rong Ke was telling the truth and had never cheated with Yan Zhi, then their hooking up in front of Jiang Si was just a show for him.

And he actually fell for it.

This meant that in all the time since Rong Ke broke up with him, he didn’t find someone new. Even Yan Zhi had to go to great lengths to pursue him. Could this mean that in Rong Ke’s heart…

Just as this thought crossed his mind, his phone suddenly rang.

Glancing at the caller ID, Jiang Si answered impatiently, “What is it?”

“‘Actors’ Summer’ plans to arrange for a guest performer. I’ve secured the spot for you,” Liu Qing said.

“Secured?” Jiang Si repeated the word, his implication clear—did he really need someone to secure a spot for him on this show?

“What else?” Liu Qing’s tone carried a hint of mockery. “If I remember correctly, someone was just mocked online for their acting skills. If it weren’t for me, the production team wouldn’t have even considered inviting you.”

After the financial disaster of “Meihua Lane,” Jiang Si’s opportunities in film and television plummeted. Now, he only had two urban drama scripts to choose from.

If he accepted them, it would be like regressing to his level from two years ago; if he didn’t, he had no good film scripts to work on.

He was already irritated enough, and now Liu Qing was dancing on his landmine—the topic of acting skills.

“Heh,” Jiang Si chuckled lightly, then asked, “So the production team invited you because of your acting skills?”

“Don’t be ungrateful, Jiang Si.” Liu Qing understood Jiang Si’s implication, his voice darkening. “If bringing a CP to the show didn’t generate traffic, do you think I’d be willing to bring you along?”

“What, you’ve just gotten famous and you’re already getting cocky?” In the past, Liu Qing would never have spoken to Jiang Si like this. Jiang Si’s tone turned vicious, “Do you think I didn’t know that the paparazzi who exposed us back then was hired by you? I didn’t confront you about it, and now you’re pushing your luck.”

Liu Qing was silent for a moment, then coldly asked, “What are you saying, you want to break up?”

Previously, Liu Qing had hired paparazzi to secretly photograph Rong Ke being taken away in a police car. Jiang Si didn’t notice at the time, only realizing later that it was the same paparazzi who had exposed him and Liu Qing going to a hotel.

He had considered confronting Liu Qing about it, but thinking they were in the same boat and he didn’t have the time, he never brought it up.

As a result, Liu Qing quickly hooked up with director Wen Cheng and even appeared on an SPL-sponsored show despite Yan Zhi’s blacklisting. Even Jiang Si was astounded by these tactics.

He felt like slapping his past self. Why would he give up Rong Ke for someone like this?

Rong Ke clearly had more potential and could have benefited him more…

“Okay, stop talking. I don’t have time to deal with you right now,” Jiang Si said. “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

“Wait,” Liu Qing called out to Jiang Si. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Fame can come in an instant, and so can obscurity. If you don’t take this chance to be on the show, and you end up fading into irrelevance, don’t blame me for breaking up with you first.”

With that, Liu Qing hung up, not giving Jiang Si a chance to retort.

“I should be the one warning you,” Jiang Si said, his face full of anger. “Acting like a diva when you were just B-list, now that you’re famous, you must be unbearable.”

Opening Weibo, then clicking on Rong Ke’s private message dialogue box, Jiang Si suppressed his anger and nervously sent a message: [What have you been up to lately?]

However, until evening, Rong Ke did not reply.

–

Distracted by Jiang Si, Rong Ke gave up questioning Yan Zhi on WeChat and drove straight back to Tianxi Yunwan.

When he arrived home, it was dinnertime. As soon as Rong Ke opened the door, he smelled a rich aroma, but what caught his attention more was a large bouquet of roses placed on the foyer floor.

Yan Zhi heard the sound and came over. He was holding the roses and presented them to Rong Ke. “Congratulations on successfully completing your first performance.”

He was wearing a tank top and an apron—a proper apron—with fresh, reddened cursive letters clearly visible on his arm.

Rong Ke’s temple throbbed with a headache. “On such occasions, people usually send tulips or calla lilies.”

“I know,” Yan Zhi said matter-of-factly, “but I’m not other people.”

“Yes, yes, you’re not ordinary,” Rong Ke couldn’t be bothered to say more. He took the roses from Yan Zhi’s hands and put them in his bedroom.

The aroma wafting through the house was that of cheese. Rong Ke changed into his home clothes and came to the dining room, finding two plates of exquisite-looking pasta on the table. The color scheme was thoughtful, the plating elegant—no matter how he looked at it, it didn’t seem like Yan Zhi’s handiwork.

“Did you get a hotel chef to make this?” Rong Ke believed Yan Zhi was absolutely capable of doing such a thing.

“Of course not, I made it myself,” Yan Zhi said. “Are you impressed?”

Indeed, he was.

Rong Ke couldn’t help but wonder, was Yan Zhi really a genius? It seemed that whatever he wanted to do, he could do to perfection.

He picked up his fork, tasted a bite of the pasta, then quietly put the fork down.

Good, Rong Ke was now certain that Yan Zhi wasn’t a genius, feeling instantly more balanced.

“Is it a bit salty?” Yan Zhi, sitting across the table, raised his chin, pointing to a glass of water nearby. “I prepared some water for you.”

Rong Ke gulped down a large mouthful, not bothering to comment on Yan Zhi’s culinary skills. Putting down the glass, he got to the point. “What’s with your tattoo?”

“Do you like it?” Yan Zhi turned his body, exposing his side shoulder for Rong Ke to see. “I got it this afternoon. I designed the font myself.”

The font was indeed beautiful, but the question was, why tattoo someone else’s name on yourself?

Rong Ke thought this trend was at least twenty years old, completely at odds with Yan Zhi’s status as a fashion icon.

However, now that Yan Zhi had tattooed his name on his body, Rong Ke found it hard to say anything unkind.

“It looks good,” he began carefully, trying not to hurt Yan Zhi’s feelings. “But I don’t feel moved by it.”

“You think I got the tattoo to move you?” Yan Zhi asked.

Rong Ke couldn’t think of any other reason. “What else?”

“I just wanted you to know that I’m serious about pursuing you because you don’t seem to be taking this seriously.”

Recently, Rong Ke had been focusing on work and indeed neglected Yan Zhi.

——Of course, he hadn’t forgiven Yan Zhi and wouldn’t be particularly enthusiastic towards him anyway.

However, the fact that Yan Zhi got a tattoo because of this made Rong Ke strangely think of those attention-seeking children who act out when they don’t get enough attention, desperate for everyone to focus on them.

It turned out he was indeed good at causing a stir. Now Rong Ke’s Weibo and WeChat were nearly exploding, with everyone curious about one thing: would he accept Yan Zhi’s pursuit?

“Besides that, there’s another reason,” Yan Zhi elegantly ate his pasta, explaining unhurriedly, “By tattooing your name, firstly, I’m expressing how much I value you, and secondly, I’m reminding myself not to slack off, as you’re not easy to win over.”

He ate so naturally that Rong Ke wondered if there was something wrong with his own taste buds.

He picked up his fork and tasted the pasta again, only to be hit by another wave of saltiness that went straight to his head, forcing him to quickly drink some water to wash away the taste.

Now he was certain that either they weren’t eating from the same pot, or someone was putting on a brave face.

“Not good?” Yan Zhi noticed Rong Ke’s actions and looked at him directly.

His eyes held a desire for approval, making Rong Ke hesitant to say it tasted bad.

“Have you considered that a tattoo is permanent?” Rong Ke didn’t answer, bringing the topic back. “If—and I’m saying if—we got together and then broke up, wouldn’t you feel awkward looking at this tattoo?”

There were countless examples of couples impulsively getting tattoos and then regretting it.

Not to mention Yan Zhi had let the whole world know about this. Wasn’t he setting himself up for ridicule?

“Let me also say if. If we really broke up one day, it definitely wouldn’t be your fault, but because I wasn’t good enough,” Yan Zhi looked at Rong Ke seriously. “I wouldn’t feel awkward. I’d just look at the tattoo and think of you every day.”

Rong Ke: “…”

Damn, was this guy always so lethal with his sweet talk?

Rong Ke steadied himself and, like Yan Zhi, elegantly began eating the pasta. “Your way of pursuing someone is quite stupid.”

A foolishness tinged with clarity and sincerity, more powerful than calculated flattery.

“There’s a first time for everything,” Yan Zhi watched Rong Ke start eating, his lips curving upward. “You have to give me a chance to make mistakes. Just like my cooking skills, one day they’ll impress you.”

Rong Ke was so impressed that his taste buds malfunctioned, actually developing the illusion that this pasta was decent.

He quickly stuffed all the pasta into his mouth, swallowed it whole, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and began to consider seriously:

“Even if we get together, no one can guarantee we won’t break up. If we become a couple, we’ll always face the risk of separation. But if we maintain the status quo and stay friends, I can let go of your pretending to be a bottom, and we won’t have to worry about parting ways. What do you think?”

“No.” Yan Zhi couldn’t be satisfied with just being friends. Besides emotional needs, he also had physical desires. Naturally, he wanted to sleep with his wife.

But he knew saying this outright would anger Rong Ke, so he chose his words carefully, opting for a more traditionally subtle approach. “We can’t just be friends. I still want to hear you call me daddy.”

Rong Ke: “…”

Rong Ke, who had just started to open up, smiled through gritted teeth. “You just wait.”

Three days later, Yan Zhi received a custom-made silicone doll from Rong Ke.

It contained a voice chip using the Calabash Brothers’ voice. Poke its butt once, and it would say “Daddy.”

It came with a handwritten note from the manufacturer on Rong Ke’s behalf: Go have your fun.