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After dinner, Luan Xing’an assumed Jing Heguang would leave. After all, a big star’s schedule is truly packed.

To his surprise, however, Jing Heguang simply lounged on the sofa, hugging a cushion, and acting as if he had nothing better to do, suggested they watch a horror movie together to blow off some steam.

Luan Xing’an was pleasantly surprised and said happily, “Brother Jing, hang on a sec, let me find a scary one.”

Since he finally had company, he naturally wanted to watch a few horror movies he usually wouldn’t dare watch alone for fear of getting too scared.

Hearing this, Jing Heguang initially thought Luan Xing’an was a brave soul despite his small stature.

But when a prop head came rolling across the screen, Luan Xing’an shrank into a ball, squeezed his eyes shut, and clutched another cushion tightly.

Jing Heguang chuckled.

Luan Xing’an was so engrossed in the movie that he didn’t even notice he was being laughed at.

When the movie ended, Luan Xing’an let out a long sigh of relief. “That wasn’t too bad.”

Jing Heguang mentally tallied it up: Luan Xing’an had screamed at least five times. So that was considered not too bad?

“It wasn’t bad,” Jing Heguang agreed. “Though that scene where the head fell was incredibly realistic, it even gave me a little scare.”

Luan Xing’an’s eyes lit up. “I thought that shot was scary too. They used a visual trick to lower the ceiling, making the space feel incredibly cramped, and then ‘bam’, a head drops down. It really nailed the horror atmosphere!”

So, he actually knew a thing or two?

Jing Heguang didn’t know much about filmmaking, but he knew exactly which moments had startled Luan Xing’an.

He pointed out a few other scenes, and Luan Xing’an, now discussing a topic he loved, analyzed them articulately, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Jing Heguang.

It turned out they had been scared by the exact same moments! It was like meeting a kindred spirit, what an incredible coincidence!

Jing Heguang maintained a perfect smile. Once Luan Xing’an finished speaking, he exclaimed in surprise, “So that’s how it is. I was wondering why those shots looked so terrifying. You really know a lot, Xingbao.”

Luan Xing’an replied modestly, “I just watch a lot of things and read up on film analysis. It’s not really that much knowledge, anyone could figure it out with a little research.”

Watching Luan Xing’an’s display of modesty gave Jing Heguang a bit of a headache.

Modesty is a virtue, but habitually downplaying one’s own abilities is another matter. It suggests a deep-seated sense of inferiority and a lack of healthy self-esteem.

Jing Heguang said earnestly, “But most people don’t have the time to look into these things. Knowing all this means you’re more knowledgeable than the average person, Xingbao.”

Having paid the compliment, Jing Heguang didn’t give him a chance to demur, immediately adding, “Xingbao, you’re about to take the stage soon, let’s go shopping for clothes tomorrow!”

“Shopping? I think I’ll go by myself,” Luan Xing’an said, his attention successfully diverted. “If you go out, you’ll get mobbed by fans and passersby!”

Jing Heguang had been a massive hit for a full year. His songs, his voice, and his looks were all top-tier.

With no other male lead starring in a breakout TV series or movie this year, it was no exaggeration to say that Jing Heguang was currently the hottest male celebrity around.

Getting spotted is exactly the plan, Jing Heguang thought to himself.

But he didn’t want to scare Luan Xing’an by saying so upfront, so he just smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got a trick up my sleeve.”

After finishing the movie and chatting a bit longer, Luan Xing’an’s phone began to buzz, it was the alarm reminding him it was time to sleep at 10:30.

Luan Xing’an glanced at it. “It’s 10:30 already?”

He was surprised. It felt like Jing Heguang had only just arrived, yet in the blink of an eye, it was already 10:30 PM.

But…it was getting so late, wasn’t Jing Heguang going to head home? Luan Xing’an looked at him. “It’s getting late, are you staying the night here?”

Jing Heguang, who hadn’t even considered sleeping and just wanted to keep the party going, was stunned: !!!

“Sure. I haven’t been back in ages, I’ve really missed this place.” Since he’d been away so long, staying next door was definitely out of the question! Perfect!

To his surprise, Luan Xing’an smiled happily, revealing small dimples. “I aired out your quilt and duvet cover just a couple of days ago, they’re all ready to use!”

Jing Heguang sighed inwardly but smiled naturally on the outside. “That was your bedtime alarm just now, so let’s get cleaned up and go to sleep.”

***

Lying in the original owner’s bed, Jing Heguang rolled over, clutching the quilt that smelled of sunshine.

He smelled faintly of milk now, as Luan Xing’an used a milk-scented baby body wash. The original owner’s toiletries had expired, so Jing Heguang had showered next door before coming over.

The original owner’s memories held no details of small acts like Luan Xing’an washing or airing out the bedding.

In fact, aside from his songs, Luan Xing’an didn’t feature prominently in the original owner’s memories. Yet, to Luan Xing’an, the original owner had been a significant figure, a close friend with whom he had shared a path toward the future.

Well, Jing Heguang just felt like punching that scumbag original owner all over again!

Unable to sleep, Jing Heguang pulled out his phone and did some research on shipping. He tentatively settled on a name for his ship: XingGuang (StarLight)

It combined one character from each of their names and had a catchy ring to it, it was the perfect ship name! He was clearly a genius at this shipping business.

As for other skills, writing fanfic, editing videos, designing covers, those seemed a bit too difficult. Besides, he was busy trying to woo someone, so time was tight.

Therefore, Jing Heguang sent a message to Xiao Chen.

[Boss: Let’s hire a few more people who can write short storylines, edit videos, and design posters!]

***

Xiao Chen was in the middle of bottle-feeding one of his twin daughters when he saw the message and typed a reply with one hand.

[Xiao Chen: Boss, exactly how many people should we hire? And what kind of projects will the video editing and copywriting be for?]

[Boss: My real life ship.]

Xiao Chen’s hand jerked. If his daughter hadn’t been latching on so tightly, he would have dropped the bottle!

His wife, who was feeding the other baby, glanced at him. “What is it? Why the commotion? Did you get a promotion or a raise?”

Xiao Chen said, “I think my boss has gone haywire…”

“Isn’t your boss the 1.85-meter-tall hunk guy?”

“No, no, I mean his brain has gone haywire!”

“How so?”

Xiao Chen thought about his boss, Jing Heguang, and felt a headache coming on. “He might be in a relationship now. His public persona has completely shattered, it’s like he’s been put under a spell!”

“Are you saying I put a spell on you?”

“Of course not, that’s not what I meant. It’s just…my boss used to be so terrifying and so hard to please! The change today was just so sudden!”

“So you’re saying I’m hard to please? You take care of the babies!”

Xiao Chen sat there holding both babies, looking bewildered. His wife turned, grabbed two diapers, set them aside, and with a soft harrumph, picked up his phone. “What do you want to reply?”

Xiao Chen grinned. “Heh heh, my wife is the best. Just reply ‘OK’ for me.”

***

Early the next morning.

Jing Heguang woke up to his alarm and prepared a refreshing noodle dish for breakfast, serving a bowl each for himself and Luan Xing’an.

As Luan Xing’an ate the delicious hot-and-sour pork noodles, he looked up at Jing Heguang. “Brother Jing, your cooking is amazing!”

After saying that, he lowered his head and went back to slurping up the noodles with gusto.

Jing Heguang had added just a touch of chili, the heat made a fine sheen of sweat appear on the tip of Luan Xing’an’s nose, making him look vibrant and real in the morning light.

Jing Heguang reached out and gently wiped the sweat from the tip of his nose.

Luan Xing’an looked up and smiled at Jing Heguang, then gave his own nose a bashful rub. “It’s so good, you should eat up too!”

After breakfast, Jing Heguang got ready to go out.

Luan Xing’an expressed concern about whether they might be recognized.

Jing Heguang changed his clothes, put on a hat, and added a face mask. Yet, even with only his eyes visible, his tall stature made him stand out.

But before Luan Xing’an could come up with a solution, Jing Heguang took him by the hand and headed out.

Downstairs, the two of them met up with Xiao Chen, who had arrived to pick them up.

Xiao Chen noticed someone trailing behind his boss and felt he had uncovered the truth, his formidable boss was actually in love!

Once Luan Xing’an got into the car and fully emerged from behind Jing Heguang, Xiao Chen was startled to discover that the person his boss was dating was a young man.

As he drove in silence, Xiao Chen felt that a promotion was within reach.

If he was privy to something as significant as his boss’s boyfriend, could a promotion really be far off? It was surely just around the corner. Jing Heguang said to him, “Xiao Chen, take us to TTB Mall. Sorry to trouble you to take a taxi back to handle the studio interviews.”

Xiao Chen felt a weight settle on his shoulders: “Boss, you aren’t going to the studio interviews yourself?!”

Jing Heguang replied, “I’m not going. I’ve already looked over the materials you sent yesterday. I’ll circle a few names for you, just focus on those candidates.”

Jing Heguang possessed the memories of the original owner’s past life, which made certain matters quite convenient.

When it came to studio staff, for instance, those memories allowed him to quickly identify candidates who were both reliable and capable.

So, after a quick glance, he sent the names and corresponding positions to Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen: …

Only one thought crossed Xiao Chen’s mind: the ancients were right, lust truly clouds one’s judgment!

***

Xiao Chen dropped them off and left the car behind, taking a taxi back to the studio office to do the work the boss was supposed to be doing.

He had just finished interviewing a candidate when he received a call from brother He, a major paparazzo in the industry.

“Brother Xiao Chen, want to buy some photos of your boss?”

Xiao Chen replied with a deadpan expression, “Did someone snap a picture of my boss shopping with a young guy?”

Paparazzo Brother He sounded surprised: “How did you know?!”

Xiao Chen thought to himself: I was the one who drove them there, how could I not know?

“We won’t waste money on that, Brother He,” Xiao Chen said, lying without batting an eye as per his boss’s instructions. “That’s just a friend of our boss.”

A boyfriend is also a friend, after all, technically, there was nothing wrong with that statement.

***

Jing Heguang took his companion to TTB Mall, a shopping center specializing in luxury goods.

After making the rounds and picking out a few outfits for Luan Xing’an to wear during his performances, the two of them drove home.

Clutching the outfits, which cost over a hundred thousand yuan, Luan Xing’an felt a pang of heartache over the expense. If he weren’t afraid of embarrassing brother Jing, he would have wanted to go back and return them!

Just as he was wincing at the cost, Jing Heguang’s phone rang.

Jing Heguang, who was driving, said, “Xingbao, could you answer that for me? Put it on speaker.”

Luan Xing’an reached out and answered the call for him.

Xiao Chen’s voice came through.

“Boss, we’re trending!”

Jing Heguang replied calmly, “I know.”

Xiao Chen continued, “Boss, you have such a great eye for people! The ones you picked have excellent skills and personalities. Even the person who tried out a different role turned out to be a surprisingly good fit.”

Jing Heguang stole a glance at Luan Xing’an’s hand, which was holding the phone.

“You’re getting a promotion.”

You’re so good with words, hurry up and say a bit more for Luan Xing’an to hear.

T/N: When you’re the captain of your ship ٩(ˊᗜˋ )و