LOI Chapter 47 — Sea of People

In the dimly lit room, Wen Cheng put away his phone and looked at the person glaring at him angrily. “Why that expression?” he asked.

After asking, he realized the other couldn’t speak. He used the remote to stop the toy and moved forward to remove the saliva-soaked gag.

“Why did you cast him for your new film?” Liu Qing looked at Wen Cheng indignantly. “Didn’t you promise to support me?”

“Your image doesn’t fit,” Wen Cheng lazily leaned against the headboard, using his index finger to lift Liu Qing’s chin. “I’ll find another script for you.”

“How exactly am I unsuitable?” Liu Qing sat up, wanting to argue, but seeing the eyes behind the glasses turn cold, he immediately shrank back. “I mean, in what way am I not suitable…”

“You seem to always be confused about the situation.” Wen Cheng’s hand slowly gripped Liu Qing’s throat, then suddenly yanked upward. “I don’t need to explain my actions to you.”

“I’m sorry, teacher…” Liu Qing begged tearfully, while inwardly cursing Wen Cheng as a violent maniac.

“Patchwork Family” was about to conclude its final episode and was already slated to be this year’s hottest drama.

Liu Qing took advantage of this opportunity and hoped to transition into films. However, unlike Jiang Si, he lacked accumulated resources and could only take an unconventional path by attaching himself to Wen Cheng’s thigh.

But, as he’d warned Rong Ke, this violent maniac was extremely difficult to please.

“Your image is too youthful, not mature enough. You lack a sense of backstory,” Wen Cheng withdrew his hand upon seeing Liu Qing’s proper attitude. “The male lead in ‘The Tempest¹‘ should be restrained, unassuming, seemingly compliant but actually biding his time.”

“I understand, teacher.” Liu Qing feigned obedience. “I’m really not suitable.”

“By the way,” Wen Cheng changed the subject, “your boyfriend’s agency is also vying for this role for him.”

“Jiang Si?” Liu Qing frowned, showing disdain. “How could this film possibly go to him?”

The room suddenly fell silent. Realizing he’d failed to maintain his obedient persona again, Liu Qing shrank his shoulders and backtracked, “I mean, his acting is so poor, wouldn’t it be a waste to cast him…”

Wen Cheng exhaled softly, his exasperated demeanor making Liu Qing’s heart race anxiously.

He leaned forward, forcefully gripping Liu Qing’s hair at the back of his head, compelling him to lift his chin. “You can’t even play a puppy, and you still want to be the lead in my film?”

“I’ll be good, teacher…” Liu Qing said tearfully.

“You still need discipline.” Wen Cheng abruptly pushed Liu Qing away. “Finding a script for you will have to wait.”

Liu Qing inwardly cursed Wen Cheng’s ancestors for eighteen generations but outwardly maintained a fawning demeanor. “Okay, teacher. I will listen to you.”

“It is true that Jiang Si’s acting skills are not good, but he still has commercial value,” Wen Cheng continued their previous topic. “I’m a businessman, not an artist. If it aligns with commercial interests, casting him isn’t out of the question.”

“But isn’t ‘The Tempest’ funded by the Fashion Group?” Liu Qing cautiously asked. “Yan Zhi wouldn’t approve of casting Jiang Si, would he?”

“You should know my films don’t lack investment. If we choose Jiang Si, the investment lineup will change accordingly,” Wen Cheng said. “So, the final decision on who to cast lies with me.”

–

Early in the morning, the long-absent sounds of pots and pans echoed from the kitchen.

Yan Zhi, bleary-eyed, entered the kitchen, fearing everything before him was an illusion. He embraced Rong Ke from behind, lazily hanging onto him to continue his nap.

“What are you doing?” With a large attachment on his body, Rong Ke could barely walk properly.

“I’m afraid I’m dreaming,” Yan Zhi mumbled. “It’s been so long since I’ve had your homemade breakfast.”

“Don’t be in the way here,” Rong Ke protested. “Go wash up quickly.”

Yan Zhi didn’t move as if he was recharging his batteries. After counting down “three, two, one,” he finally shuffled to the bathroom in his slippers.

Breakfast was no longer dry sandwiches. The tomato and egg noodles sprinkled with scallions emitted an enticing aroma.

Yan Zhi’s appetite was whetted. He asked, “Can I request dishes for dinner?”

Rong Ke checked the time and said, “I have fifteen minutes before I leave.”

— He was about to go on a tour to the next city, and would not be back until the end of this weekend.

Yan Zhi’s good mood was instantly ruined. He frowned seriously and asked, “What should I do when I miss you?”

“Let work fill your void,” Rong Ke said coldly. Suddenly remembering something else, he asked, “How long is your consultant appointment?”

“One year,” Yan Zhi mimicked Rong Ke’s tone. “Then I’ll return to Europe, and you can let toys fill your void.”

Hearing the vengeful undertone, Rong Ke’s lips twitched as he said, “Childish.”

Rong Ke wasn’t one to easily get caught up in romance, so even after confirming his relationship with Yan Zhi, he hadn’t changed much from before.

But the childish prince clearly disliked this state and did not even come to see him off as he left with his suitcase.

However, just five minutes after leaving home, Rong Ke received a message from Yan Zhi.

[Yan Zhi: I miss you already :(]
[Yan Zhi: I hate work]

Rong Ke chuckled. He wasn’t one for mushy words, so he just sent an emoji in response.

[Rong Ke: [Kiss.jpg]]

As soon as he sent it, he felt embarrassed and quickly turned off his phone.

–

The number of fans waiting for Rong Ke at the theater grew increasingly, especially this week. With the tenth episode of “Patchwork Family” airing, where Sha Ya died in the fire tornado, his popularity had completely separated from the main cast.

Rong Ke’s name topped the charts on various platforms. Many marketing accounts analyzed that as long as Rong Ke’s subsequent resources kept up, he had essentially joined the first-tier ranks.

Originally, the Tea Society actors could freely enter and exit through the main entrance, but now the theater had to create special passages and strengthen security.

Yet even this couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of Rong Ke’s fans.

“He’s out! He’s out!”

“Rong Ke! Is that Rong Ke wearing sunglasses?”

“Ah! Rong Ke waved at me!”

“Rong Ke, you’re the destined Sha Ya!”

“Can Sha Ya be resurrected in the second season?”

“Rong Ke, where’s your husband?”

Rong Ke swiftly passed through the crowd and boarded the van. Fans chased after the vehicle for quite a distance.

Xu Hong, who had already boarded, said to Rong Ke with lingering fear, “If my granddaughter were here, she’d probably be this crazy, too.”

“Has she watched episode ten?” Rong Ke asked.

“Yes, she insists she doesn’t believe Sha Ya is gone.”

As they chatted casually, another senior colleague suddenly said, “Why don’t we change our flight? Let’s not travel with the big star. All this noise is too much for my heart.”

Rong Ke naturally sensed the complaint, after all, their recent performances had been somewhat chaotic due to his fans.

“I’ll change my ticket,” he offered.

“What are you changing for? Aren’t you in a hurry to get back?” Xu Hong said to that colleague. “If you want to change, do it yourself.”

The group still flew back to their departure city as planned. Although Rong Ke had mentally prepared himself for potential fans at the airport, when he collected his luggage and saw the sea of people in the arrival hall, he was completely shocked.

“Ah! Rong Ke! Rong Ke!”

The intense screams seemed to shake the roof. The security guards maintaining order were like leaves floating in a flood. Forget about stopping the torrent, just not being swept away was an achievement.

“I told you we should have changed flights!”

Some colleagues retreated to the baggage claim area to wait for the crowd to disperse. Rong Ke and Xu Hong, who were walking close together, found it too late to turn back. They were surrounded by layers of fans.

“Rong Ke, will Sha Ya be resurrected?”

This was the most frequently asked question. While protecting the elderly Xu Hong as they moved forward, Rong Ke tried his best to answer. “In the script I received, he’s already dead.”

“Will he be resurrected in the second season?” Several fans asked in unison.

“I’m not sure about that,” Rong Ke answered honestly.

“Sha Ya is so popular, the director should bring him back, right?”

Someone thrust a phone in front of Rong Ke’s face. He had to lean back to avoid it, patiently saying, “Everyone, please don’t follow so closely. It’s dangerous. Someone might get stepped on.”

However, no one listened to his advice. Another person asked, “Rong Ke, how often do you contact Zhou Lin?”

Clearly, this was a persistent CP fan. Rong Ke replied bluntly, “Not much.”

“Why should he contact Zhou Lin often?” another person said, displeased. “His boyfriend is Yan Zhi. What are you shipping?”

“What I ship is none of your business. Do you live by the sea?”

Seeing that the two sides were beginning to quarrel, Rong Ke quickly said, “Alright, don’t fight.”

As Yan Zhi was the “official” partner, most fans were concerned about this. Someone else asked, “Rong Ke, didn’t Yan Zhi come to pick you up?”

“He’s busy with work,” Rong Ke said.

The Golden 9th and Silver 10th² were approaching, and MQ was preparing for a fashion night event. Yan Zhi was so busy he couldn’t even video call Rong Ke.

“When Yan Zhi was criticized before, you came out to officially announce your relationship. Was it because you felt sorry for him?”

The questions became increasingly personal. Rong Ke didn’t want to answer anymore. Seeing the exit just ahead, he quickened his pace. Suddenly, a commotion broke out behind him.

“Why are you pushing?”

“Is this person sick? Can’t you see there are people in front?”

Rong Ke looked back to see a tall man with a professional camera forcefully squeezing next to him. Despite the surrounding curses, he remained oblivious, frantically pressing the shutter at Rong Ke.

“Don’t push,” Rong Ke frowned. “Be careful.”

Rong Ke suddenly realized that although these were all his fans, his words carried little weight.

Those pushed by the cameraman were very upset and tried to force him out, but he was clearly experienced. He seemed rooted beside Rong Ke, refusing to budge no matter how others pushed.

As the crowd jostled violently, the cameraman lost his balance. His long lens hit Xu Hong’s head. Even with Rong Ke’s good temper, he couldn’t help but feel anger rising in his chest. He shoved the man hard, demanding, “What are you photographing?!”

After shouting, he turned to Xu Hong and asked, “Teacher Xu, are you okay?”

Xu Hong covered his head and said, “I’m fine, I’m fine. Let’s hurry and leave.”

Rong Ke agreed, but the cameraman suddenly lashed out. “Everyone’s pushing. Why did you shove me?”

Before Rong Ke could speak, others indignantly said, “You pushed first!” “That’s right, no one would push you if you hadn’t pushed first.”

The cameraman pointed at a girl and said, “Wasn’t that push from you? You pushed my arm. That’s why I hit someone!”

The girl, who was inexplicably targeted, said, “That’s because people behind were pushing me.”

Someone further back said, “Everyone’s pushing. Who can you blame?”

“Exactly,” the cameraman turned his attack on Rong Ke. “Everyone’s pushing. Why are you blaming me?”

“How shameless can you be!” “Can’t you paparazzi get lost?”

“What’s wrong with me taking photos?” The cameraman seemed ready to argue with everyone. “You can take photos, but I can’t? Bunch of hypocrites!”

Rong Ke’s patience had reached its limit. He shouted, “Enough!”

The surroundings instantly fell silent, all eyes on Rong Ke.

Although aware of many phones recording, Rong Ke still said to the man with an unfriendly face, “Take another photo and I’ll smash your camera!”