CH 1

Yongqiao Street was a perfectly ordinary avenue, but today the sidewalk was packed with teenage girls. 

The girls in back stood on tiptoe, craning their necks forward as they tried to get a better view. From time to time they heard the sound of cameras flashing. The girls in the front were constantly saying, “Oh God, he’s so handsome! How can anyone be so handsome?!”

A passerby asked curiously, “Hey lovely, who are you looking at?”

“Shen QingShu ah,” a girl in the back replied, “Haven’t you heard? He’s making an appearance for the phone he just endorsed.”

“Is that right? Is he really that good-looking in person?”

The girl hurriedly took out the short video she’d just recorded and shared it with him. “See? He’s way too handsome, right? That height, that face, that body! Dear God, is anyone in the world better-looking than him?”

The passerby heard her say this, but he knew that for fans, beauty was in the eye of the beholder. Students these days always thought their idol was the sexiest man alive. But when someone else looked at him, obviously this idol of hers was…

Just as he was thinking this he looked down, and his line of sight intersected with the person on the screen. An immediate shock ran through his body. That face, that figure, that aura!

Fck! So handsome—such a face was made to be adored!

The little passerby brother instantly morphed into a fan. He craned his neck to see better and opened photo-sharing mode with the girls around him.

After the event came to an end, Shen QingShu was escorted to the van by an entourage that included several bodyguards, an agent, and his assistant.

When he waved to his fans through the vehicle’s window, he faintly heard a male voice. Among so many female voices it was particularly noticeable: “Shen QingShu, I love you!”

Shen QingShu smiled and closed the window, thinking the male fans these days were also getting kind of enthusiastic and passionate.

“Shen Ge, one of your mother fans is a man.” His assistant, Xiao Liu, laughed.

“Not necessarily,” Shen QingShu denied.

He’d just played several games for the sponsor and he was pretty tired. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest.

Observing this, Xiao Liu lowered his head and reread a novel on his phone.

When Shen QingShu had a little more energy and was ready to talk to his assistant, he saw the other man’s eyes widen like he’d seen a ghost.

“What happened?” he asked.

Xiao Liu looked at him, then pointed at his cell phone. He wanted to say something but stopped as if he were embarrassed. Finally he snorted and angrily turned his phone over.

“Someone’s roasting me online?” Shen QingShu guessed that the only thing that could make his little assistant angry was if someone was blackening or scolding him. On the other hand, there were also people who liked to blacken and scold him simultaneously.

“That’s not it.” Xiao Liu’s expression was subtle. “I’m reading a novel and saw someone in the book has the same name as you.”

Shen QingShu nodded. Then he remembered his assistant only read danmei. Hesitating, he asked, “Am I the gong?”

Xiao Liu: “… Shou.”

Shen QingShu: ! ! !

“I’m the shou?!”

Xiao Liu nodded wordlessly.

Shen QingShu: … Forget it. It’s just a character in a book. Even if it’s the same name, it’s not me. Just accept it.

“Sunny, handsome, charming, superb actor, fabulously wealthy heartthrob, that kind of shou?” he guessed.

Xiao Liu: “… Cannon fodder.”

Shen QingShu: ? ? ? ?

“White moonlight?”

“Chinese cabbage.”

Shen QingShu: ! ! !

“What kind of spicy chicken novel is that!” Shen QingShu pointed to Xiao Liu’s phone. “Delete it, delete it immediately! What kind of a spicy chicken author would do that? My name’s so unique. How could it be the name of a Chinese cabbage cannon fodder shou? It’s irrational!”

He stared at Xiao Liu. “Do I look like a cannon fodder to you?”

Xiao Liu shook his head. “How could that be, Shen Ge? If you were a cannon fodder, how could all those people be wrong? Look at your face, your figure, your popularity. It must be the work of a black fan! They can’t beat you head on, so all they can do is get this type of meaningless spiritual victory. It’s too petty ah!”

“Exactly.” Shen QingShu folded his arms.

He leaned against the window in exasperation. After a short time, he whispered curiously, “That novel you’re reading, what’s it about?”

Xiao Liu heard the question, and with great reluctance he retold the plot of the book and the story of Shen QingShu’s namesake, ending in a tirade.

Shen QingShu listened to the dog blood content, speechless.

What a cannon fodder tool man! The character jumped up and down on the edge of death, promoting the development of feelings between the gong and shou in countless ways. What a hard-working and dedicated tool man ah.

What a waste of his good name!

It was a shame he didn’t have any spare time, otherwise he’d make a side account and write his own novel with himself as a character. The first thing he’d do was write about a handsome and dashing Shen QingShu, a sought after by millions of fans Shen QingShu, even if he was the shou. He didn’t care if it was unpopular. He’d be the white moonlight as well as the cinnabar mole, handsome beyond compare, unparalleled and amazing. That had to be better than some useless cannon fodder.

As he mused about these things, he looked out the window and saw a food market not far away, bustling with activity.

“Stop here,” Shen QingShu said. He changed into an ordinary denim jacket and put on a hat and glasses. “No one’s chasing the car, right? If no one’s following, I’ll head over there.”

“Where are you going?” The agent who hadn’t said anything all this time finally spoke up.

“To reminisce about the past,” Shen QingShu said as he climbed out of the van.

The agent quickly followed. “I’ll go with you.”

Shen QingShu didn’t mind. They left together.

Suddenly he heard a child crying, and the sound was very loud. Shen QingShu looked back and saw a little boy weeping and shouting for his mother, walking towards the middle of the road.

He ran over and picked up the little child with one hand. “Kids can’t cross the road by themselves, you know?”

The moment he finished speaking, he heard the heart-rending voice of his agent scream, “QingShu!”

Shen QingShu didn’t have time to turn around before he was hit by a car.

He heard the scream, and he heard his agent’s anxious cry for help, but Shen QingShu was lying on the ground, feeling as if something was passing from his body.

How could there be a car? The light was obviously red, right? Did someone run the red light?

Then was he going to die? Wasn’t it too pathetic? He’d just become popular and he was only twenty-two. He was so young. He hadn’t ever fallen in love, and he hadn’t even driven a car. How could he die already?!

Shen QingShu was filled with sorrow. He couldn’t die in peace!

—

Shen QingShu blinked, then blinked again, looking incredulously at the white ceiling and the white crystal light above his head.

Wasn’t he just on the street?

Wasn’t he dead?

How come when he opened his eyes he was back in his room?

Shen QingShu sat up with a jolt and looked around at the furnishings. He seemed to be in a hotel room. And he was wearing a hotel bathrobe.

What was going on? How did he get here? This wasn’t heaven, was it? It was a bit too normal, right?

As he puzzled over this, Shen QingShu suddenly saw the bathroom door open. A man stepped out from inside.

This man had handsome eyes and looked very tall. He walked towards Shen QingShu, wiping his hair.

His face was extremely good-looking—flawless white skin with a pair of eyes as black as inkstone, dark and deep, and he walked without any trace of hurry. Water droplets fell from his wet hair onto his neck and disappeared into his bathrobe.

Shen QingShu lowered his gaze to see the bathrobe loosely tied to the man’s body, exposing a broad white chest, which invited one to fantasize.

“Have you seen enough?” As the man approached, he slightly widened his eyes, rubbing his hair and gazing at Shen QingShu with a smile.

Shen QingShu nodded awkwardly. “Enough.”

“Then let’s get started.”

Started?

Start what?

Shen QingShu was full of doubts he didn’t dare to reveal. He could only hint politely, “You mean…?”

Han Cheng chuckled. “Are you going to pretend to be reserved? Did we come here in the middle of the night to chat under the quilt? Now that we’ve finished showering, it’s time to get down to business, don’t you think?”

Shen QingShu thought about it, hesitated, lifted his hands, and tested the waters by clapping. “Papapa?”

“Otherwise?” Han Cheng asked.

Shen QingShu instantly understood! He must have been too unwilling before he died, and with that kind of grievance he couldn’t die in peace, so heaven arranged this handsome guy to fulfill his last wish!

Although he couldn’t achieve his other wish of falling in love, it was still possible to drive, and the driver had been chosen for him.

Shen QingShu didn’t panic at all. Bring it on!

He looked at Han Cheng with a heart full of anticipation. After being bent for so many years, he could finally experience the feeling of high speed racing. He no longer had to stare blankly at his friends when this topic came up, looking at them with a dumbfounded face, wondering what kind of cars they were talking about, what they meant when they said this or that was amazing or cool, and what kind of place Mount Akina was. Why did it seem like he was the only person in the world who didn’t know!

Get in the car, my friend, let’s experience the thrill of drag racing together! Come on!

Han Cheng saw his face change in a second. Since he looked so eager to proceed, Han Cheng didn’t waste any more words but directly pushed him down and pressed on him.

His hand tugged the belt of Shen QingShu’s bathrobe. With a little force the belt was pulled open.

Han Cheng looked at the other man’s white shoulder and neck. The moment he touched skin, Shen QingShu pressed his hand and asked as if suddenly remembered something, “Wait, do you have a medical report? I want to see it.”

Even if he was already dead, health and hygiene were important.

He’d arrived clean and he wanted to depart clean too!

Han Cheng was speechless. “I offered to show it to you before but you said no. Now you want to see it?”

Helplessly he got up, took out his copy from his bag and handed it over.

Shen QingShu sat up and looked over the paperwork carefully, scanning it for a long time, and only then determined there was no problem and he could rest assured.

Shen QingShu gave the report back. Before he released it from his hand, he took a look at the name on the top, which was Han Cheng.

Han Cheng casually put the physical examination report to the side, reached out again, and pushed Shen QingShu onto the bed.

Shen QingShu lay down obediently until Han Cheng touched the trunk of the car. He couldn’t help but tense his body involuntarily and reflexively stopped Han Cheng’s right hand.

“What’s wrong now?” Han Cheng felt helpless. How could you drive a car when you were constantly hitting the brakes?

“Well, I’d like to ask, can I be the driver?” Shen QingShu had a sincere face. He was very much looking forward to this, and since it was to satisfy his last wish, shouldn’t he be allowed to top?

Lying down like this, his feelings were a little subtle.

Without the slightest hesitation Han Cheng said, “No way.”

“Why?”

“Have you ever driven before?” Han Cheng asked. “Do you know what to pay attention to? When to step on the gas, when to brake, when to change lanes or turn the engine off, how to make the journey better, more successful, more enjoyable, do you understand these things?”

Shen QingShu, who’d never been on the road before: …

He didn’t understand, he didn’t know, and he’d only secretly read about it in books.

Han Cheng saw his face and knew he didn’t understand, so he boasted without shame, “But I know. Whether it’s a sports car, sedan, or a racing bike—mountain roads, country roads, concrete roads—I understand everything. That’s why I’m more appropriate than you.”

Shen QingShu couldn’t help but look at him with wide eyes. How powerful, what an old driver, so experienced!

He wasn’t going to argue anymore. Anyway, he didn’t have a particular obsession with being the gong. It would be great to have an experienced driver guide him through the mysteries of the journey.

“Then be careful,” Shen QingShu admonished. “This is a brand new car. First time on the road. No dents allowed.”

Han Cheng was a little surprised to hear him say that. He was a novice driver himself. He never thought he’d come across a new car!

He just thought Shen QingShu hadn’t been a driver before. He didn’t realize Shen QingShu had never even been on the road!

This dating app was amazing. Such a small probability for both of them, a novice driver and a new car. It matched them up perfectly.

“Don’t worry.” Han Cheng said with confidence, “I’ll make sure it’s an experience you won’t forget.”

With that, he pushed Shen QingShu down again.

Since it was a new car, it was better to be careful. Otherwise, after a trip down the road, the driver might still be the same driver, but the car might not ever be the same.

—It might become a scrap car!

As these thoughts ran through Han Cheng’s mind he pressed the other party down again, but he suddenly felt Shen QingShu take his hand and lift up his head to sneak a glance at him.

Han Cheng: …

“What is it now?”

Raring to go, then slamming the breaks, repeating three times over. Han Cheng thought he was about to shrivel up!

—

The author has something to say:

Began a new novel, a getting familiar and getting married CP with an easy-going main story, so I’m back with my big red cover. And please don’t forget to collect this book and me, thank you~

Thank you for smashing overlord for this book in advance

Thank you for your love, memeda (づ￣3￣)づ╭

TL Notes:

Hello and welcome! This is one of my favorite novels so I’m super excited to share it with you in English. ٩(◕‿◕)۶

My focus for this story is to preserve the charm and humor of the raw as much as possible. With that in mind, I’ll take occasional small liberties with the translation to make the text flow better and sound more conversational. The author is a good writer in Chinese and I want her to sound good in English too. Please let me know if you see any mistakes (◡‿◡✿)

– Confectioner aka Gao Dian Shi (糕点师)

—

Untranslated terms:

“Xiao”, meaning “little” or “young” (小), is a term of endearment frequently used in nicknames. When “xiao” appears in a person’s nickname I generally won’t translate it

“Ge”, meaning “(older) brother” (哥), is a common way to refer to an older male of the same generation as you. When “ge” or a similar term appears in a name or refers to a specific person, I generally won’t translate it

danmei – 耽美 – indulging beauty – A type of BL, the genre you’re reading right now ^ ^

gong – 攻 – attack – The seme / top / penetrative partner

shou – 受 – suffer/receive – the uke / bottom / receptive partner

“Come on!” – This was in English in the raw

memeda – 么么哒 – kissing sound, mwah

Slang, idioms, and other notes:

little passerby brother – 路人小哥 – passerby xiao ge

beauty was in the eye of the beholder – 粉丝眼里出西施 – “Xi Shi in the eyes of a fan” – from the idiom “情人眼里出西施” – “Xi Shi in the eyes of a lover”. Xi Shi was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China

mother fan – In Chinese online culture there are various types of fans. “mother fans” look at their idol the way a mother looks at her child, mostly wanting to provide support and encouragement. “Girlfriend fans” are more interested in looks and romance

spicy chicken – 辣鸡 – Popular slang which means “trash”. This will show up a lot

Chinese cabbage – 大白菜 – big bokchoy – I think this just means a person who’s so boring and unimportant they resemble a bland vegetable, or possibly someone who’s easily destroyed or thrown away. Sometimes people talk about “raising a cabbage only for it to be eaten by a pig”, meaning a tender young person you carefully nurtured, only to find out they later hooked up with a scumbag

black fan – 黑粉 – hēi fěn – black powder – An anti-fan. In Chinese online culture they can sometimes be scarily vicious

petty – the raw said “q” – Slang which probably means “cute”

dog blood – 狗血 – refers to content that is overly melodramatic and soap opera-like

tool man – 工具人 – Slang for a puppet, lackey, or NPC type of character. A character that exists only to serve a specific plot function

side account – 马甲 – vest, horse armor – slang for a secret alternate account, a sock puppet

white moonlight – 白月光 – bái yuèguāng – Very common idiom which has come to mean your first love or an ideal person whom you long for but can never have

cinnabar mole – 朱砂痣 / 硃砂痣 – zhūshā zhì – Sometimes referred to as the “cinnabar mole of X’s heart”, it means the mark left on someone’s heart by a love which cannot be forgotten. In BL novels with ger it has a more literal meaning

reminisce about the past – 忆苦思甜 – recall one’s sufferings in the old society and contrast them with the happiness in the new, bittersweet memory, call to mind one’s past sufferings and think over the source of current happiness

Mount Akina – 秋名山 – qiū míng shān – To explain this I’m going to steal from Daed Laoshi’s tl note in Chapter 11 of “Transmigrated into the Film Emperor’s Death-seeking Fiance”: Mount Akina, real-life name Mount Haruna, is a Japanese mountain famous for its appearance in the manga series Initial D. It has five consecutive jagged bends and is the site where Initial D’s main character won his first few races. Throughout this novel sexual intercourse is metaphorically compared to “race car driving”, therefore Mount Akina is an example of the ultimate exciting “race course”. 

Regarding the author’s note: The A/N contains several terms (“smashing overlord”) etc. that refer to fan support on JJWXC. You can support the author too! Refer to the Project page for more info

Regarding swear words: This story is from a site in mainland China which means the swearing sometimes involves euphemisms or workarounds. That’s why you’ll see milder swearing in the tl like “crap” or “fck” instead of the actual F word. It’s because the author used a workaround like 草 “grass” instead of the actual Chinese equivalent of the F word

Transliterated names, titles, and places—new in this chapter:

YongQiao Street – 永桥街

Shen QingShu – 沈箐疏 – Shén QìngShū – Our MC

Han Cheng – 韩城 – Hán Chéng – Our ML

Shen Ge – 沈哥 – Brother Shen, Older Brother Shen. A nickname for MC

Xiao Liu – 小刘 – Little Liu, Young Liu. A nickname for MC’s assistant in Ch 1