IBKAWB Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Broadcast**

Re-translated by: Namizaki

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“How did they get the outtakes?!” Xu Xingzhou gripped his phone so tightly that veins bulged on the back of his hand.

“I asked around. They said they’re editing easter eggs¹In film, “Easter eggs” are subtle hidden references, inside jokes, or secret messages woven into the fabric of a movie by creators for eagle-eyed viewers to discover, much like a real Easter egg hunt. These hidden treasures can be nods to the filmmakers’ other works, artistic influences, or popular culture, serving to deepen the viewing experience and foster a stronger connection between the creators and their fans. to release after the broadcast, so they kept all the outtakes instead of deleting them! Brother Zhou, you shouldn’t have provoked Chi Zhongqiao! I told you before he was someone the investors pushed in. We don’t know his exact background, but he’s definitely connected! We have no backing and no reputation—why make enemies with him?”

What good is hindsight now?!

Xu Xingzhou threw his phone down and paced in circles like a caged beast.

He took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. Bending to pick up his phone—thankfully, it was sturdy and undamaged—he opened Weibo. Chi Zhongqiao was already trending at number three, with an astonishing number of shares and comments.

Xu Xingzhou’s Manager was hiring water armies to control the comments and delete negative ones, but even so, mocking remarks still slipped through. Some fans defended Xu Xingzhou, claiming he knew nothing about the incident, only to be immediately rebuked.

Xu Xingzhou clutched his phone, his expression shifting between light and shadow under the lamp. After a long silence, he made a call. “Hello, Brother Song? It’s Xingzhou. I need a favor.”

*****

Chi Zhongqiao, carrying a bag of milk tea and pastries, first knocked on the door of the President’s Assistant.

“Come in!” Qi Chuyang called out.

Chi Zhongqiao peeked through the door. “It’s me. Is Yuzhou in his office? Is he busy right now?”

“He’s here, he’s here,” Qi Chuyang replied quickly. “He just finished a meeting and should be free now.”

Chi Zhongqiao casually placed a cup of milk tea on the water dispenser near the door. “Afternoon tea. You’ve been working hard. There’s still some time before closing, so have a cup to tide you over.”

With that, Chi Zhongqiao gently closed the door and entered the President’s Office.

Qi Chuyang didn’t stop him or alert Lu Yuzhou beforehand. Having worked alongside Lu Yuzhou for several months, he still couldn’t quite grasp the President’s temperament, but he was certain he understood the relationship between Chi Zhongqiao and Lu Yuzhou—

They were definitely brothers! Not to mention living together—after all, living together doesn’t mean the relationship was good—roommates still argue.

But Brother Chi visited the office at least once a day. One time, when President Lu was in a meeting, Brother Chi waited in the waiting room. The very next day, President Lu had a second key made for the office.

What did this mean? It meant Brother Chi could freely enter President Lu’s private domain!

That’s why Qi Chuyang never bothered to give Lu Yuzhou advance notice. After all, Brother Chi always knocked before entering the office.

Qi Chuyang took a satisfied sip of his milk tea. Having Brother Chi around is the best. He always brings afternoon tea.

*****

After knocking and receiving Lu Yuzhou’s permission, Chi Zhongqiao strolled into the office.

Lu Yuzhou removed his glasses, his shoulders stiff from sitting. He stretched slightly and turned to see Chi Zhongqiao. His cold features softened involuntarily.

“I guessed you were hungry,” Chi Zhongqiao said, setting down a bag and pulling out a box of freshly baked pastries.

Lu Yuzhou was indeed hungry. At his age, he was still growing, and his busy schedule made him even hungrier. Chi Zhongqiao, having been through this stage himself, understood the panicky feeling of constant hunger. Taking advantage of their close relationship, he often timed his visits to Lu Yuzhou’s office around afternoon tea, bringing snacks.

Lu Yuzhou preferred light flavors and disliked overly sweet foods. This box of matcha-flavored baked treats was one of the few sweets he actually enjoyed.

After setting down the pastries, Chi Zhongqiao settled comfortably into the sofa.

He moved with a light, almost silent grace. When he turned his back to Lu Yuzhou, his white T-shirt and jeans framed a tall, slender figure. Despite being a fully grown man, he somehow exuded an almost boyish, youthful awkwardness.

Lu Yuzhou’s mind drifted. Right now, I only reach Chi Zhongqiao’s eyebrows, but I’ve been growing taller lately. By the time I’m twenty… I should be taller than him.

Chi Zhongqiao stretched languidly on the sofa.

Lu Yuzhou snapped back to attention. “Someone bothering you again?”

“I have Xu Xingzhou to thank for that,” Chi Zhongqiao replied, tilting his head. The winter sun had made him drowsy, his voice soft and languid.

Having finished his vocal lesson for the day, he found himself constantly approached by newcomers in the classroom. Unwilling to deal with them, he had slipped away from everyone and secretly entered Lu Yuzhou’s office.

Although <Empress of the World> hadn’t aired yet, thanks to Xu Xingzhou’s miraculous maneuvering, Chi Zhongqiao had already made a splash in the public eye, generating significant buzz for the production.

The few NG clips released were tantalizingly suspenseful. Even in those brief clips, the palpable tension seemed to leap off the screen, fueling public curiosity to fever pitch.

Chi Zhongqiao’s Weibo followers had already surged to two million. Unlike other celebrities, he hadn’t bought any fake followers, meaning every single one of those two million fans was genuine.

Chi Zhongqiao himself was a phone addict, posting frequently on Weibo, often once a day. As a result, even though he had only acted in one drama, which hadn’t even aired yet, his Weibo comments section was already buzzing with activity.

Lu Yuzhou finished reviewing a document and looked up. “Why?”

Chi Zhongqiao popped his head over the back of the sofa, resting his chin on the cushion and squinting. “Thanks to Senior Xu, my Weibo now has two million followers, and <Empress of the World> is already generating buzz before its release. Isn’t this basically Senior Xu paying for us to trend on Weibo?”

Lu Yuzhou nodded. “Yeah, Senior Xu really takes care of his juniors and has a strong sense of self-sacrifice.”

If Xu Xingzhou had overheard their conversation, he would have probably died of anger on the spot.

Chi Zhongqiao chuckled. “Two weeks until <Empress of the World> premieres. I’m going to be swamped after that.” He blinked. “Yuzhou, you’re juggling school and work. Are you tired?”

Lu Yuzhou replied, “The coursework isn’t too demanding, but there are a lot of extracurricular activities.”

Chi Zhongqiao set down his milk tea and said, “Remember to relax. Have you been sleeping well these past few days?”

Lu Yuzhou thought for a moment. “Not bad.”

Chi Zhongqiao pulled up a chair and sat beside Lu Yuzhou, reaching out. “Don’t look down. Let me see.”

Lu Yuzhou tilted his face up at his touch.

Chi Zhongqiao studied his complexion carefully, frowning. “Your color isn’t good. Haven’t you been sleeping well these past few days?”

Lu Yuzhou: “Brother Qiao…”

Chi Zhongqiao, still focused on Lu Yuzhou’s face, hummed in response.

Lu Yuzhou: “This pose… it looks a lot like flirting.”

Chi Zhongqiao froze for a moment, then his shoulders shook with laughter. “Ha ha ha! Sorry, sorry!” To Chi Zhongqiao, Lu Yuzhou seemed so young and impossibly handsome that he sometimes couldn’t resist touching him.

“If only I had a little brother like you,” Chi Zhongqiao sighed wistfully.

He genuinely admired Lu Yuzhou’s good and sensible² (guai, meaning obedient and well-behaved) and懂事 (dongshi, meaning sensible and mature) nature. This was probably the kind of younger brother Chi Zhongqiao had always imagined.

Lu Yuzhou: “…Brother Qiao.”

Chi Zhongqiao continued to gaze at him—Lu Yuzhou was just too beautiful to look away from. Every glance felt like a breath of fresh air.

Lu Yuzhou put down his pen and met Chi Zhongqiao’s gaze. “So, Brother Qiao, you just like me for my looks?”

“Do you think I’m that shallow?” Chi Zhongqiao smiled. “Lu Zhuo is handsome too, but have you seen me treating him well?”

Lu Yuzhou raised an eyebrow.

Chi Zhongqiao basked in the winter sun for a moment before lazily rolling over. “I won’t bother you anymore. Focus on your work. I’m heading out.”

Lu Yuzhou nodded. “Brother Qiao, go home early tonight. I’ll be working late.”

“Alright,” Chi Zhongqiao replied. “Take care of yourself and don’t overwork.”

<Empress of the World> had been acquired by Ginger Candy TV and was scheduled to air two episodes daily from Monday to Thursday at 7:30 PM. This prime-time slot was considered exceptionally fortunate; rumors suggested that the originally scheduled drama had run into censorship issues, paving the way for <Empress of the World> to take its place. This Wednesday marked the drama’s premiere.

Old Master Lu had been glued to the television since morning, unable to even focus on his usual news broadcast. He grumbled, “Why isn’t it 7:30 yet?”

Lu Zhuo leaned halfway out of his room, glaring at Chi Zhongqiao. Cuckoo in the nest³“Cuckoo in the nest” is an idiom that describes an unwelcome intruder or an unwanted presence in a place or situation. The phrase originates from the behavior of certain cuckoo birds that lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, essentially hijacking their homes to raise the cuckoo’s young. In this context, the cuckoo is seen as an imposter that takes advantage of the host bird’s efforts, just as a person or thing might disrupt a situation where they don’t belong.! He really thinks he’s one of the Lu family now! He continued to glare, mentally cursing Chi Zhongqiao, when Chi Zhongqiao suddenly looked up at him from downstairs.

Lu Zhuo immediately felt guilty, ducked back into his room, and slammed the door shut.

Chi Zhongqiao slowly withdrew his gaze and took a sip of his black tea. He was also eagerly anticipating the premiere. After all, <Empress of the World> was the first drama he had acted in in this world, making it deeply meaningful to him.

Lu Yuzhou hadn’t watched television in ages, finding the commercials after the news broadcast too noisy.

“It’s starting! It’s starting!”

The gentle opening theme began to play, and Old Master Lu unconsciously straightened his posture.

The crisp, tinkling sound of jade ornaments gradually grew clearer, as if someone were approaching from afar, their hairpins swaying with each graceful step. An ancient scroll slowly unfurled, revealing a young woman with double-bunned hair, gliding forward to the accompaniment of a soft, melodious chant.

The old man stared intently at the television, muttering, “This song is quite good… Oh, look, there’s Zhongqiao! He looks so handsome!”

Unlike Chi Zhongqiao’s noble Young Master appearance in the promotional clips, his first scene in the opening theme showed him descending from the battlefield, blood still dripping from his sword. He lifted his gaze from the desolate, sand-swept battlefield, his eyes devoid of joy or sorrow, as bleak as the twilight sky. His expression seemed numb with exhaustion, yet anyone who met his gaze would be deeply captivated.

Lu Yuzhou’s heart skipped a beat as he instinctively turned to look at Chi Zhongqiao beside him.

“Crack.”

Chi Zhongqiao bit off a piece of his finger biscuit, meeting Lu Yuzhou’s gaze with innocent eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Yuzhou: “…Nothing.”

He was a completely different person from the figure on the screen. Perhaps this was what true acting looked like.

Eager netizens gathered in front of their televisions, long anticipating the premiere.

Many younger viewers had abandoned traditional TV viewing, preferring to stream dramas on their phones. However, the first episode wouldn’t be available on streaming apps until midnight.

Some, unable to contain their curiosity, quietly squeezed onto the sofa with their parents.

“Didn’t you say you never watch TV?”

The mother, whose remote had been shamelessly snatched away, grumbled, still wanting to finish yesterday’s epic battle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law drama.

Her daughter coaxed, “I’ll find you something new to watch—I promise it’ll be good! If it’s not, I’ll eat the remote!”

The mother rolled her eyes.

*****

The opening theme ended quickly, and the first episode began. Yan Cheng’s character, Ye Yupei, traveled to the Imperial Capital with her parents. While settling into their inn, she encountered Prince Yu, who was on an imperial mission, marking their first encounter. Later, after entering the Capital, Ye Yupei was framed at a flower-viewing banquet and mistakenly wandered into the courtyard where the men gathered, and where she spotted Mu Yan, the Young Master of the Duke of Dingguo, hiding from the wine.

He stood beneath the bamboo grove, radiant as a bright moon.

Startled, Ye Yupei stumbled backward several steps, nearly falling.

Mu Yan, assuming he had frightened her, blushed faintly and lowered his gaze with a slight bow. “My apologies,” he murmured.

The daughter, wide-eyed fixed on the TV screen, covered her mouth, screaming inwardly—How can someone be this good-looking in this world?!

*****

Zaki~ If you like what you read, consider treating me to a coffee and creampuffs.. thankies 🙂

• 1
  In film, “Easter eggs” are subtle hidden references, inside jokes, or secret messages woven into the fabric of a movie by creators for eagle-eyed viewers to discover, much like a real Easter egg hunt. These hidden treasures can be nods to the filmmakers’ other works, artistic influences, or popular culture, serving to deepen the viewing experience and foster a stronger connection between the creators and their fans.
• 2
  (guai, meaning obedient and well-behaved) and懂事 (dongshi, meaning sensible and mature)
• 3
  “Cuckoo in the nest” is an idiom that describes an unwelcome intruder or an unwanted presence in a place or situation. The phrase originates from the behavior of certain cuckoo birds that lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, essentially hijacking their homes to raise the cuckoo’s young. In this context, the cuckoo is seen as an imposter that takes advantage of the host bird’s efforts, just as a person or thing might disrupt a situation where they don’t belong.