Chapter 43.

Chapter 43.

The next day, sunlight flooded the room.

Upon waking up, Ning Yuyi's gaze immediately met Fan Zhongchuan's, who was seated by her bed.

Stretching and sitting up, Ning Yuyi asked, "Why are you sitting here watching me?"

"Can't I watch my own boyfriend?" Fan Zhongchuan replied leisurely, "Lazybones, time for breakfast."

"I'm not lazy." Ning Yuyi hopped out of bed, murmuring under her breath, and with the sound of Fan Zhongchuan's laughter in the background, headed into the bathroom to freshen up.

……

Mid-September marked the plum rain season in Hai City.

The persistent drizzle could last for days. Apart from spending her time studying the script of "Emperor Zhouyang", Ning Yuyi would often lounge with Fan Zhongchuan on the sofa or balcony, chatting away.

Finally, by mid-September, the variety show "Old Friends" made its official debut.

The first episode, a pilot, chronicled the initial interactions and the first day of the five guest stars.

On the day of the broadcast, Zhou Erhe, carrying fruits, visited Ning Yuyi to watch her first appearance on a variety show with her.

Ning Yuyi had prepared an array of snacks, and together with Zhou Erhe, they settled in the home theater with the lights off to enjoy the show.

Lining up popcorn and sodas, they focused on the projected episode.

Zhou Erhe, munching on the duck wings he had brought, counted down the seconds.

"Alright, alright, it's starting." After hastily finishing his duck wing, Zhou Erhe grabbed a napkin, cleaned his hands, and sat upright in anticipation.

"Where did all the duck wings go? Have you finished them already?" Ning Yuyi rummaged in the bag for a while, only to find it empty.

"There's another unopened bag beside you." Zhou Erhe replied, eyes glued to the screen.

"Don't get too eager. They'll definitely feature Liu Ge, Luo Ge, and Zhuang Jie first, followed by Xie Ge. My segment will come last." As Ning Yuyi spoke, she tore open the new bag, "Which brand are these duck wings from? They're quite spicy."

"If it's spicy, eat less. You'll be joining the crew soon. You wouldn't want breakouts," Zhou Erhe advised, concerned.

"I'll limit myself." Ning Yuyi, aware of the importance of maintaining her skin, glanced at the screen and got distracted, "Hey, Liu Ge's kid is so adorable."

Zhou Erhe added, "Liu Tiancheng showcased his child on another variety show before. They became quite a hit online."

When the segment showing Ning Yuyi finding the cat was aired, Zhou Erhe excitedly patted the cat, Tian Tian, saying, "Tian Tian, look, do you recognize yourself?"

Tian Tian turned and jumped onto Ning Yuyi, seemingly uninterested in dealing with Zhou Erhe, the "weird uncle."

Ning Yuyi, laughing heartily, hugged Tian Tian and praised, "Well done!"

After watching the hour-long pilot, Ning Yuyi sprawled on the cinema couch, feeling drowsy.

As for Tian Tian, she had already curled up and fallen asleep on Ning Yuyi's lap.

Zhou Erhe, still sober, remarked, "Why don’t you sleep in your room? It's quite chilly here."

"I'm on it." Ning Yuyi gently cradled TianTian, careful not to disturb its sleep, and tiptoed to the cat room to place it inside.

"The guest bedroom next door is ready. You can freshen up in the bathroom," said Ning Yuyi as they left the home theater. Suddenly not feeling sleepy anymore, he added, "Goodnight."

"Hmm, I’ll head to bed first."

After watching Zhou Erhe enter the guest room, Ning Yuyi went downstairs to the kitchen. He placed the soup the housekeeper had made into a thermos and silently exited to the neighboring house.

Only when he was outside did Ning Yuyi dare to close the door without restraint, no longer worried about Zhou Erhe catching him in this... clandestine act?

A shiver ran down Ning Yuyi’s spine, taken aback by his own imagination.

What secret rendezvous?

Visiting my boyfriend is an entirely above-board matter!

With his back straight, Ning Yuyi knocked on the neighboring villa’s door, holding the thermos filled with his affectionately made soup.

"All set?" Fan Zhongchuan took the thermos and wrapped his arm around Ning Yuyi, saying, "Wear a coat next time you come out."

"It’s just a short walk; I won’t catch cold." Ning Yuyi took Fan Zhongchuan’s hand, "Are you done with your work?"

"Yes, let’s have the soup together."

Fan Zhongchuan divided the soup into two portions in the kitchen, and the two sat close, sharing it sip by sip until it was gone.

After finishing the soup, Ning Yuyi leaned on Fan Zhongchuan's shoulder, yawning, "I need to head back home in a bit."

Fan Zhongchuan looked up with a questioning glint, "Do you really need to?"

Unable to suppress another yawn, with a tear forming in the corner of his eye from the fatigue, Ning Yuyi replied, "Mm-hmm. Brother Zhou is still at home. If I stay here tonight, he'll know by tomorrow."

"Is it a problem if Zhou Erhe knows?" Fan Zhongchuan turned to him, pinching Ning Yuyi’s fingertip, "You naughty one, it’s not like we’re sneaking around."

"Hmm." Hearing those words again, Ning Yuyi shrank back, "If Brother Zhou finds out, he'll worry about all sorts of unnecessary things."

"Really?"

"Truly, trust me."

"Liar." Fan Zhongchuan gave him a light peck on the forehead, "Make sure you wear a coat before you leave."

"Sure thing, boyfriend."

……

Half an hour later, Fan Zhongchuan draped a coat over Ning Yuyi’s shoulders and accompanied him to the doorstep, an arm wrapped around him.

Although Ning Yuyi wasn't sure why, with only a fifty-meter distance between the two villas... there was still a need for such formal departures and arrivals.

After bidding Fan Zhongchuan goodbye, Ning Yuyi turned around and headed home.

Upon switching on the living room light, he found Zhou Erhe nonchalantly lounging on the sofa.

"Been to Fan Zhongchuan's place?" Zhou Erhe inquired with a stoic expression. "Are you two together now? Since when? And you kept it from me?"

Oh dear...

On the verge of tears, Ning Yuyi clung to the door, trying to play the pitiable card in hopes of deflecting the situation.

Having known Ning Yuyi for so long, Zhou Erhe was familiar with all of his tricks.

"Spill it. If you don't come clean, don't think about sleeping tonight."

"..." Ning Yuyi released his grip on the door, "Alright, let me get a drink, and I'll tell you everything."

Half an hour later, having narrated the entire sequence of events, Ning Yuyi quickly took several gulps of water to soothe his throat.

Zhou Erhe, wearing a look of mild annoyance, pulled out his phone.

"Damn, you're not going to tell my brother, are you?" Ning Yuyi panicked at the sight of Zhou Erhe reaching for his phone.

"I need to discuss with Ying Jin, just in case you two decide to go public. We'll need to be prepared." Zhou Erhe wondered how this normally obedient child could be so exhausting to deal with.

It's mentally taxing, and physically too.

Ning Yuyi was aware that his romantic relationship might create significant PR issues. "Should I offer a pay raise? It can come out of my account."

"No need. I'd be happier taking money from your brother," Zhou Erhe replied, stretching lazily. "I'm going to discuss this with Ying Jin. You should get some rest too."

"Mm-hmm." Ning Yuyi put his coat back on, opened the door, and headed out once again.

"Wait, where are you going?" Zhou Erhe was taken aback.

"While you chat with your boyfriend and get some sleep, I'm off to see mine," Ning Yuyi said with a shy smile. "Goodnight."

Zhou Erhe watched Ning Yuyi's retreating figure with a complex expression, rendered speechless.

Initially, due to the departure of two key members, some fans weren't too excited about this season of "Old Friends."

However, thanks to Xie Yiezhou's substantial fanbase, the viewership void was temporarily filled.

Yet, when the pilot episode aired, even the original variety show fans, who just wanted to give it a one-time watch, were completely charmed by Ning Yuyi.

[Damn, in just one hour... I nearly finished all the snacks in my snack cabinet...]

[I painstakingly lost about three pounds last week... Feels like I've just gained it all back today (CryingBlood.JPG)]

[That binge-worthy variety show is back! And the newly-added regular guest seems to have exceptional culinary skills. Everything they make looks delectable!]

[Right? Didn’t the previous season get comments about the food tasting average? This season feels great.]

[Just see how much our Professor Zhuang eats... I wonder if he even remembers he's on a diet?]

[Enjoying KFC while watching the show, what a treat! Also, Zhou is looking handsome as always.]

[The shipper fans are getting their dose of sweetness again; this couple is so adorable, ugh!]

[To the person above, can you please stay in your lane? Keeping to your fandom means to keep your excitement to yourself, not roping in the whole world...]

[I was happily enjoying the aesthetics of the leading man and the newbie until I saw those shipper comments. There’s always someone who doesn’t read the room.]

[We shippers have also spent money on merchandise, okay? And aren’t we allowed to comment on Weibo? Do you own Weibo or something?]

[Passerby here, just munching on popcorn. Are the dedicated fans and shippers going at each other again?]

[Didn't expect the youngest, handsome guy to be such a good cook. I always assumed he was just another rich kid. To dine with Xie Yiezhou and Fan Zhongchuan and to cook as well? His future wife will be so lucky, QAQ.]

[You make me want to vomit. Hehe. Talking about rich kids when he's just an orphanage kid. Parents dumped him, yet you think he’s best friends with Xie Yiezhou and Fan Zhongchuan? Probably just a plaything in their group activities.]

……

Author’s note: Even though both chapters have over 2,000 words, as long as I split them, it counts as two updates (jokingly).