TYMRHBDES Chapter 174

Pei Yu took Jiang Luoluo to Moon, the city’s largest amusement park, for a day of fun.

That same day, candid photos of them exploded on the trending searches:

A petite beauty in a black-and-gold magical cloak stood at Moon’s iconic photo spot, holding an ice cream cone. A tall, muscular man had his arm around him, capturing a sweet, smiling photo.

The pair, perfectly matched in both looks and height difference, stood beneath a European-style castle with a massive moon as their backdrop, looking like they had stepped straight out of a Western fairy tale.

A hashtag bearing both their names surged to the top of the trending searches.

— “Waaah, my wife is so cute! He looks so delicate and small in Pei Yu’s arms!”

— “That height difference! Hnnngh! I bet Pei Yu picks him up and f*cks him!”

— “Falling for my beautiful baby wife all over again today!”

— “Jiang Wei, where are you?! @JiangWei, bro, look! You’ve been dumped!!”

“Waaah, so Brother Jing really doesn’t have a chance anymore?!”

“Am I the only one who hates Jiang Luoluo? What’s with this ‘everyone loves him’ act? He’s clearly a scheming green tea who’s meddling in other people’s relationships!”

“No way! Are there still people who don’t know Jiang Luoluo is a homewrecker? And they still like him? Is there no one else in the Chinese entertainment industry?!”

“Are you stupid? Didn’t you see Pei Yu’s clarification? Will you die if you don’t trash my wife?”

“Speaking of which, *Assassination* started filming today, but Pei Yu, the male lead, is hanging out with his little lover at an amusement park. Talk about zero professionalism!”

“Hasn’t he always been this arrogant? Let’s not even mention it—some crazy fans are about to start biting people again!”

“Tsk! I just finished watching Pei Yu’s fans tear into the *Assassination* crew. Anyone know the real reason they suddenly replaced someone?”

“Does it even need saying? Pei Yu probably didn’t want to do it. *Assassination* is so unlucky, and Director Wang is really suffering!”

***

The online discussions raged fiercely, but they didn’t affect the two men’s mood in the slightest.

The next day, Zhang Hao arrived even earlier than the day before, his anxiety palpable.

“What’s going on, Brother?!”

“Our Prada endorsement is renewed annually, but yesterday the brand suddenly notified me they won’t be renewing this year!”

He paced frantically.

“Brother, are we in retrograde or something?!”

“Brother, should we go to a temple to burn incense? Or at least consult a fortune-teller!”

“Everything was fine, so why has everything gone wrong these past two days?!”

Pei Yu, expressionless on the treadmill, replied coolly, “Isn’t that perfect? You’ve been complaining about needing a vacation.”

“Starting today, I’m giving you one.”

“What are you saying, Brother?!” Zhang Hao clung to the treadmill, his voice urgent. “What vacation? Your career is obviously more important!”

“Brother, think! Have you offended anyone recently?!”

As Zhang Hao spoke, he muttered to himself, “This doesn’t make sense, Brother. With our connections here, who would dare cross you?”

“Connections?” Pei Yu scoffed coldly.

“The Pei Family, Brother! You’re a Pei!” Zhang Hao exclaimed.

Annoyed by his rambling, Pei Yu stepped off the treadmill, twisted open a water bottle, and walked toward the exit. “I’m not the only member of the Pei Family,” he said.

The words echoed in Zhang Hao’s mind, and he gasped, “Your elder brother? Are you two fighting over the family fortune?”

As he spoke, his mind conjured up a dramatic scene of a wealthy family’s power struggle.

Pei Yu shot him a cold glance. “My father.”

“Uncle Pei?!” Zhang Hao murmured, trailing after Pei Yu. The more he pondered, the more alarmed he became. He cautiously asked, “Brother… you’re not… Mr Pei’s biological son, are you?!”

Pei Yu turned back. “Zhang Hao, can you get lost?”

***

The old man was determined to make things difficult for himself.

Pei Yu still granted Zhang Hao a few days off.

Zhang Hao had been working tirelessly and hadn’t returned to his hometown in half a year.

That evening, Prada officially announced its new brand ambassador on Weibo, sparking a frenzy in the comments section.

— “What’s going on? Pei Yu actually lost an endorsement? [popcorn]”

— “He went too far! Karma’s finally catching up!”

— “Wild guess… Pei Yu’s role in ‘Assassination’ might have been snatched away right before filming started!”

— “But he’s Pei Yu! Can things really go wrong for him? The entertainment industry is getting more complicated by the day!”

— “I saw Zhang Hao at the airport. He was flying back to his hometown in Xuancheng. Think about that for a second, everyone!”

— “No way! Pei Yu’s still in City A. Why would Zhang Hao leave? He’s been Pei Yu’s shadow for years!”

— “Let’s wait and see. If his manager’s already bailed, something big must be going down. This is going to be a major scandal!”

***

Jiang Luoluo closed Weibo, his delicate face shadowed with worry as he turned to Pei Yu.

“Pei Yu, is something really wrong with your work?”

For a top-tier superstar like Pei Yu to take two consecutive days off to stay with him, have his role in the new drama replaced, and lose endorsement deals—none of this seemed normal.

Pei Yu scooped him up and settled him on his lap.

“Is my darling so worried about me?”

He leaned in and kissed Jiang Luoluo’s cheek. “Even if your husband doesn’t act, I can still provide for you.”

Pei Yu had made numerous investments over the years and didn’t rely on acting income for his livelihood.

“That’s not what I meant…”

The person in his arms looked up with wide, round eyes and said softly, “You really love acting, don’t you, Pei Yu?”

Pei Yu fell silent.

After a moment, he chuckled softly. “I don’t.”

“You’re lying.”

Jiang Luoluo puffed out his cheeks, his tone gentle. “With your family background, why would you even enter this industry if you didn’t enjoy acting?”

“Besides, I’ve seen your films and some interviews. It’s clear you genuinely love acting.”

Despite being criticized countless times for his arrogance and haughty demeanor, Pei Yu transformed completely when he was on set.

He became utterly focused and dedicated, approaching each role with reverence.

To achieve authentic performances, he always cooperated fully with the director.

When playing a fugitive murderer, he went without food for three days and four nights, surviving only on water, to capture the character’s starvation.

As a race car driver, he insisted on finishing a scene even when the manual transmission failed, his tires skidding dangerously close to the cliff’s edge during a drift.

While filming ‘Thornwind’, he won a national swordsmanship championship.

For ‘Abyssal Soulchase’, he earned certification as a Master Scuba Diver Trainer…

***

Examples like these are countless.

He always strives to immerse himself completely in his roles, pushing himself to the absolute limit.

If his only goal were to break into the industry and indulge in acting as a hobby, he could easily have become a sensation playing the male lead in romantic dramas, relying solely on his striking looks.

Moreover, given his family background, he could have avoided such hardships entirely.

He could have chosen an easy path.

But he didn’t.

Throughout his career, every performance has been a sacrifice of his soul to the character.

Step by step, he has wholeheartedly dedicated himself to increasingly complex and challenging roles.

Pei Yu smiled without speaking, cupping the face of the person in his arms and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“Our Little Fox has grown up,” he teased, “now he’s even worried about his husband.”

Jiang Luoluo remained silent, wrapping his tender, lotus-root-like arms around Pei Yu’s neck.

Pei Yu pulled him into a tight embrace.

Before his darling appeared, he had genuinely loved acting.

But now that his darling was here, all other passions could wait.

The world is filled with countless distractions.

He only wanted his Little Fox.

***

For the following week, Pei Yu had no scheduled engagements.

Jiang Luoluo, on the other hand, was in high demand. Phone calls flooded in daily with offers for commercials, variety show appearances, and even a drama production wanting to cast the completely inexperienced Jiang Luoluo as the male lead.

After consulting with Pei Yu, Jiang Luoluo accepted several commercial shoots and hired an assistant recommended by Zhang Hao.

“Luo Luo, we have a fashion brand commercial shoot this morning. Are you ready?” Song Ci, the newly hired assistant, knocked on the door.

A soft, slightly petulant voice called from inside, “Just a minute!”

“Pei Yu, can you open the door for me?”

The door swung open, and Song Ci found himself face-to-face with Pei Yu.

The entertainment industry’s top visual, renowned for his aloof and noble demeanour, suddenly loomed before him with overwhelming impact.

Even after several meetings since his successful interview, Song Ci couldn’t help but feel his pupils dilate slightly.

He lowered his gaze, avoiding Pei Yu’s face. “Good morning, Teacher Pei.”

Pei Yu nodded and gestured for him to enter.

Jiang Luoluo was facing the mirror, adjusting his hair. As he moved, the collar of his shirt shifted, revealing faint red marks beneath.

Song Ci recognised them instantly—familiar marks of affection.

Pretending not to notice, he walked over.

Jiang Luoluo smiled at him through the mirror. “Just a moment, Song Ci. I’ll be ready soon!”

Song Ci hummed in acknowledgement, packed his water bottle and other essentials into his backpack, and took out a parasol.

Pei Yu reached out and took the parasol from him.

“Teacher Pei?” Song Ci asked.

Pei Yu replied coolly, “I’m coming too.”

When they arrived at the filming location, the other brand ambassador hadn’t arrived yet. Jiang Luoluo waited on the sofa in the dressing room for a while.

Song Ci thoughtfully unscrewed the water bottle and handed it to Jiang Luoluo with a smile. “Luo Luo, the water’s at 45 degrees—just right for drinking.”

Pei Yu glanced at the newly hired assistant and sent a message to Zhang Hao.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Hao called back.

Pei Yu swiped to answer and walked outside, hearing Zhang Hao’s voice immediately:

“I’ve checked thoroughly, Boss! He’s definitely straight—he even has a girlfriend!”

“His background is spotless too, meeting all your requirements…”

Zhang Hao continued his report, and Pei Yu listened until he hung up.

He tossed his phone into his pocket and returned to the room. As he pushed the door open, a familiar voice reached his ears.

Pei Yu looked up. A few meters away, Zhou Jing stood facing Jiang Luoluo, a smile on his face as he spoke:

“It wasn’t a coincidence—”

Hearing the door open, Zhou Jing glanced at Pei Yu before continuing:

“I was the one who approached ‘Taste of Time’.”