CH 18

Chapter 18: The Arrival of the Vinegar Barrel

Jin Yanliu had already fallen asleep when he was abruptly awakened in the middle of the night by a series of notifications.

He reached out in the darkness and found his phone, taking a quick glance at it.

It made him chuckle.

He believed that many of the anti-fans probably thought that if he saw their insults or slander, he would get angry.

In reality, he didn’t really feel anything.

Those who would curse at him were probably leading miserable lives themselves, and those who were doing better than him didn’t have the time to bother with such things. This was a lesson he had learned from his father, Jin Weinan, when he was a child. So even though he had encountered countless fans and anti-fans since entering the entertainment industry, he managed to maintain a healthy mindset.

He let out a long sigh. He didn’t have the time or energy to pay attention to these matters anymore. “Entering the Demonic Path” was about to start filming, and now that they had set this course, he had to do his best. Even if not for himself, he had to do it for the sake of the rest of the crew.

As for Zhou Beiyang, there was no need to say anything. He was more than willing to use his influence to promote Zhou Beiyang. It was even more meaningful than the reverse time-travel plan.

As for Lu Yao, who was part of the reverse time-travel plan, it was important to cultivate him as well.

As for Yan Huihua, this young man was excellent, talented, and had good character. He deserved to become popular.

Not to mention Liu Qichang and the numerous crew members.

Jin Yanliu realized that once filming began, this drama would no longer belong solely to him.

Even though he bought the rights and invested a huge sum of money, this drama carried the hard work and dreams of many others. It was no longer just a tool for his revenge.

With this in mind, Jin Yanliu suddenly lost the desire to sleep.

He turned on the bedside lamp, took out the script, and began memorizing his lines.

Liu Qichang had adapted the script for this play, and it was truly well-written. It wasn’t the first time he had read a script, but after reading a few pages, he was still deeply moved.

“Ye Hengyang asked, ‘Tell me the truth, are we really blood brothers?'”

“Mu Huaying, with red eyes, replied fiercely, ‘Whether we are or not, you and I are destined to be lifelong enemies.'”

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound outside. He looked up and glanced out the window, seeing the black shadows of trees swaying in the wind. Before long, raindrops began to pitter-patter against the glass.

It was raining.

Jin Yanliu got up and opened the window.

As the window opened, the wind blew in along with a drizzle of rain. The late summer breeze was warm, but the rain was cool. He leaned against the window, allowing the raindrops to fall onto him, finding a peculiar sense of contentment in his heart.

Everything seemed unbelievably surreal. He found himself living within the pages of a novel, with only around a hundred and sixty days left before it all came to an end.

He pondered whether this was his demise or his rebirth. Jin Yanliu lowered his head, and the raindrops trickled down from his eyebrows.

He stayed awake until past five in the morning before finally succumbing to sleep. In his groggy state, he heard Zhou Beiyang calling out to wake him up. Overwhelmed by fatigue, he furrowed his brows and let out a soft moan.

Zhou Beiyang chuckled, leaning over his bed. “Wake up, little Golden Pig.”

It was a nickname from his childhood. Jin Yanliu instinctively reached out and pinched Zhou Beiyang. “Mind your manners.”

“Bro, get up. I’ve brought breakfast. It won’t taste good if it gets cold.”

“I’m not hungry. I want to sleep a bit more,” Jin Yanliu replied.

“In that case, I’ll put it in the pot and you can eat it later when you wake up.”

Jin Yanliu opened his eyes briefly and inquired, “Are you going out?”

Zhou Beiyang responded with a nod and said, “Yeah, I need to go to the office.”

Jin Yanliu closed his eyes again, tilting his head as he lay on the pillow.

His hair was disheveled, his pajamas loose, revealing a glimpse of his collarbone. Despite that, his fair and tender skin seemed even more delicate. Fatigue was etched on his face, and all his usual arrogance and recklessness had vanished, making him resemble a child. Zhou Beiyang couldn’t resist the warmth that surged through his heart. He bent down, covering Jin Yanliu with the blanket, then picked up the remote control from the bedside table, increasing the air conditioning temperature by two degrees.

Jin Yanliu had a low tolerance for heat, so he always kept the air conditioning on a low setting.

Zhou Beiyang had just begun his career and was currently swamped with work. Suddenly, he found himself having to shoot a television drama, completely disrupting his schedule.

No longer alone in his endeavors, he was the most popular member of a seven-person group, and his participation in group activities was indispensable. Starry Media swiftly coordinated his schedule, aiming to complete all the events he could attend before he joined the drama crew.

He was constantly on the move, and Jin Yanliu was also far from idle. Now that he was a boss himself, he realized the tremendous difficulties involved in filming. There was an array of pre-production tasks, and although he initially intended to take a hands-on approach, he soon discovered that he was ill-equipped for the job. He decided to let Liu Qichang and the others take charge instead.

His responsibility would be solely focused on acting.

The filming was about to commence, and Jin Yanliu felt it was necessary to establish a connection with Yan Huihua.

“How about we grab a meal together later?” he suggested to Yan Huihua.

Yan Huihua paused momentarily during a fitting, then nodded in agreement.

Lu Yao heard it too but remained silent.

Lu Yao had imagined many possible scenarios regarding how Jin Yanliu would treat him: intentionally ignoring him, humiliating him, or pretending to be friendly like most artists in the entertainment industry who were actually enemies. But he never expected Jin Yanliu to regard him as just an ordinary actor.

There was no deliberate targeting or intentional closeness from Jin Yanliu.

Although this was the best possible situation, Lu Yao couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. Did it mean that he was no longer worthy of being Jin Yanliu’s opponent?

Well, given the vast difference between them now, Jin Yanliu probably couldn’t be bothered to confront him anymore.

Lu Yao’s emotions were complicated.

Yan Huihua’s feelings were equally complex.

In the past few days, whether it was during makeup and wardrobe trials or the filming of promotional photos, Jin Yanliu had been with him throughout, showing great dedication and responsibility. It felt like he was receiving special treatment.

On one hand, Jin Yanliu had once tried to take advantage of him. The words Jin Yanliu had said that night still echoed in his ears. Jin Yanliu was waiting for  him to take the initiative, to willingly get into his car and climb onto his bed.

Initially, he should have been disgusted and resistant. However, whenever Jin Yanliu was around him, he couldn’t help but feel nervous and uneasy. Sometimes, when their eyes met, he couldn’t see a trace of lasciviousness or lecherousness in Jin Yanliu’s clear and bright eyes. It confused him. When a person reached a certain level of excellence, could their advances still be considered as taking advantage?

Regardless of how he thought about it, it seemed that when he and Jin Yanliu ended up in bed together, he was the one benefiting from the situation.

Yan Huihua held his robe with both hands as the costume designer measured his waist. However, his peripheral vision couldn’t help but drift towards Jin Yanliu. Jin Yanliu had a face with no makeup, wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, yet he still exuded youthful vibrance and radiance.

“His belt should be a bit wider,” Jin Yanliu displayed a touch of assertiveness during work, rarely using a negotiable tone. He gestured with his hand around Yan Huihua’s waist and said, “About this wide.”

His finger pressed against Yan Huihua’s waist with just the right amount of force, as if certifying the work but also teasing him.

“And here, embroider a design of bamboo bathed in sunlight. Both the gold thread and green thread should be lighter. It should be imperceptible on the screen when it’s not in close-up. It must be hand-embroidered, not machine-stitched, and the more exquisite, the better.”

The costume designer by their side nodded repeatedly, busily taking notes.

Yan Huihua couldn’t deny that when such a talented, young, and beautiful superstar paid such attention to him, no one could remain unaffected and unchanged.

As he unconsciously straightened his posture, it was already predetermined that he would lose.

As the sun set, he got into Jin Yanliu’s car.

Fortunately, it was a car provided by the crew, and Xiao Pangzi and the others were also inside.

“Do you have any particular cravings? If not, I’ll take the lead,” Jin Yanliu said, taking off his baseball cap and ruffling his hair.

Yan Huihua replied, “You decide.”

To his surprise, Jin Yanliu burst into laughter upon hearing his response.

He looked so charming when he laughed, dazzling even. But Yan Huihua suddenly felt uneasy. Jin Yanliu looked at him and said, “Since you’re going to play my older brother, stop calling me ‘you’ so formally. I’ve looked at your profile, and you’re actually a few years older than me. What should I call you? Yan-ge, Hui-ge, or Hua-ge?”

Yan Huihua’s face turned slightly red. “You… don’t tease me.”

Jin Yanliu smiled and said, “Then let’s both drop the formalities and address each other by name.” He then turned to Xiao Pangzi, who was driving, and said, “Let’s go to Yiranju.”

***

Although Jin Yanliu was always on his mind whenever he went out, over the years, Zhou Beiyang had developed the habit of not calling him for no reason, especially after Jin Yanliu became a celebrity and had a busy schedule. He called him even less frequently.

After sending a message last night, they hadn’t been in contact all day. Zhou Beiyang had finished his work here, taken a shower, and before heading to the airport, he called Jin Yanliu.

But no one answered.

Even until past eight in the evening, Jin Yanliu still hadn’t returned his call.

On the other hand, their good friend Wang Junyi sent him a video message.

Wang Junyi was their childhood friend who opened a high-end restaurant called Yiranju a couple of years ago, and Jin Yanliu was a frequent customer there.

The video was sent in their private group chat among their friends. Wang Junyi didn’t appear in the video but jokingly said from behind the camera, “The great guest has arrived and the place is shining brightly. Come and say hello to everyone.”

The video was straightforward, showing Jin Yanliu with a flushed face, obviously drunk, and smiling at the camera, holding a glass and saying, “Did all my buddies eat?”

In a quick glance, Xiao Pangzi could be vaguely seen.

It was a lively and warm video, nothing out of the ordinary.

A few minutes later, Wang Junyi sent another clip.

This time, both Jin Yanliu and Yan Huihua appeared in the video.

Jin Yanliu was holding a wine glass, his face flushed, and one hand resting on Yan Huihua’s shoulder. They were standing a bit far apart, so it was hard to hear what they were saying, but Yan Huihua was smiling and looking attentively at Jin Yanliu.

He was still too kind-hearted. He should have rejected the role of Ye Hengyang.

Zhou Beiyang thought to himself in a cold and distant manner.

“The Seven” boy group had traveled to four cities in just two days, and everyone was feeling exhausted. However, being a group of young men in their twenties who had recently gained fame, the excitement and enthusiasm were still fresh. At the airport, there was a large crowd of fans eagerly awaiting their departure. The cheers filled the entire airport, and everyone was exhilarated, waving their hands and interacting with the fans. Except for Zhou Beiyang, who walked at the front wearing a hat and a mask, keeping to himself.

Wang Zegang, the youngest member of the group, attempted to catch up with him but was stopped by Zheng Rong, the third oldest member, who firmly held him back. “I suggest you don’t approach him now. The captain is in a bad mood.”

“What’s wrong with him?” Wang Zegang looked up at Zhou Beiyang and only saw his tall and aloof figure, as imposing as a white poplar tree. The swarm of fans, barely held back by security, shouted “Zhou Beiyang” with wild enthusiasm. Meanwhile, Zhou Beiyang lifted his head, focusing on the LED screen displaying an advertisement in front of him.

It was an advertisement featuring Jin Yanliu, whose mere presence could drive anyone into a frenzy.

They say love is selfless, that when you deeply love someone, their happiness becomes your own. So why did he only feel the urge to destroy and possess? Was his love not profound enough, or was he not a normal person?

Zhou Beiyang’s hands were tucked into his pockets as he shook his head.

Author’s Note: It is expected that the filming scene will become a vinegar brewing site.