Chapter 71

Chapter 71

By the time he woke up again, night had already fallen.

Fan Zhongchuan was in a video conference in his study. Ning Yuyi, shuffling in his slippers, casually pulled on a t-shirt from the wardrobe and headed towards the study.

Hearing the door open, Fan Zhongchuan shifted his gaze from the screen to greet the entering Ning Yuyi and stood up to offer him a chair.

Ning Yuyi was gently seated and signaled with his lips for Fan Zhongchuan to continue his meeting, indicating that he'd sit by his side and keep him company.

What was supposed to be a meeting lasting over an hour was condensed into just thirty minutes.

As the video conference ended, the managers from other districts all seemed to exhale, wearing relieved expressions as if they had finally been "set free".

Fan Zhongchuan closed his laptop, and as he looked up, he noticed Ning Yuyi doodling on a sheet of paper.

Vacation plans.

Ning Yuyi had spent a long time researching travel guides online, but none truly caught his interest.

Thinking about the island registered under his name, Ning Yuyi decided to consult his younger brother.

Xie Yezhou's response was that they had a boat at home and there was also a small airport on the island. They could reach it by either mode. There were staff members who would deliver fresh fruits, vegetables, and seafood every morning at 6 o'clock.

Ning Yuyi, a second-generation rich kid with boats, planes, and an island to his name, pondered for a while before deciding to consult Fan Zhongchuan.

"Shall we fly there or take the ship?" Ning Yuyi opened the folder Xie Yezhou had sent about the island and glanced at the photos, remarking, "The water there seems even clearer than that in Greece."

Fan Zhongchuan glanced at the island's location, "Those islands are developed exclusively for the rich. No outsiders set foot there, so the environment is pristine."

Ning Yuyi, with his head down, stared at the few words he'd written on the paper before crumpling it up and tossing it into the trash.

Gazing at the images of the sea, Ning Yuyi became lost in thought. Spotting a sparrow on the tree outside the window, his eyes lit up.

"Let's take the ship!" As Ning Yuyi turned around, he realized Fan Zhongchuan had somehow moved right next to him.

They were so close their breaths almost mingled.

"Let's eat first," Fan Zhongchuan whispered, his lips brushing past Ning Yuyi's ear, gently landing a kiss on his neck.

Ning Yuyi went silent, grabbing onto Fan Zhongchuan's shoulders, allowing himself to be cradled and carried downstairs.

On the day of the Grand Drama Awards, Ning Yuyi arrived at the island by ship.

Wearing a white t-shirt, beach shorts, and sunglasses, he lounged on an oversized beach chair, basking in the sun.

After a long hiatus, he logged into Weibo.

Ever since he went public about his relationship with Fan Zhongchuan, his Weibo inbox had been flooded with messages. Annoyed, he had uninstalled the app.

Feeling a bit bored under the sun today, he reinstalled Weibo to watch the live stream of the Grand Drama Awards, especially to see Xie Yezhou's award acceptance.

Xie Yezhou was nominated for Best Actor for a spy thriller drama, which, excluding period martial arts dramas, had the highest viewership this year.

When Ning Yuyi clicked the link from Weibo, the Grand Drama Awards had just begun, following the opening act.

The camera panned over the celebrities in the audience. Ning Yuyi spotted Xie Yezhou and Xie Yinan seated centrally, surrounded by a host of veteran actors.

Fan Zhongchuan approached from a nearby villa, tray in hand, bearing refreshingly appropriate orange juice and fruits.

The tray was set on the small table beside the sun lounger. Fan Zhongchuan smoothly reclined onto the half of the lounger Ning Yuyi had freed up for him, pulling Ning Yuyi into his embrace and together they watched the livestream on the phone.

Nestled against Fan Zhongchuan, Ning Yuyi found a comfortable position, resting his head on Fan's arm and lazily asked, "Do you think my second brother will win Best Actor?"

"Most likely him."

Whether considering investment or acting skills, this year, only Xie Yezhou had such a strong case.

There was another contender, Xu Yingzhe, who could've challenged Xie Yezhou. However, after recent controversies and the Ruan family's vow of retribution against him, those not wishing to antagonize the Ruans have sided against Xu. Now, isolated within the entertainment industry, Xu Yingzhe's career seems to be on hold.

As the host delivered his script on stage, Ning Yuyi gauged that the Best Actor award was still some time away. Temporarily setting his phone aside, he turned, draping himself over Fan Zhongchuan’s shoulder, and started to fiddle inside Fan's t-shirt.

With a slight frown, Ning Yuyi remarked, "Hey, how come the little 'strawberry' mark you left on me has faded, but mine on you hasn’t? Did you secretly apply ointment behind my back?"

Fan Zhongchuan's throat tightened at Ning Yuyi's actions.

When those soft fingers touched his abdomen, Fan Zhongchuan could resist no longer. With a satisfied sigh, he took control, grasping Ning Yuyi's hand.

"What are you doing?" Ning Yuyi's wrists were pinned above his head, his struggle futile.

"What am I doing? I’m 'doing' you," Fan Zhongchuan smirked, bending down to capture Ning Yuyi’s lips.

Their passionate kiss left Ning Yuyi speechless.

"No, not here," Ning Yuyi protested breathlessly in the brief moment Fan Zhongchuan let him breathe, "We're still outside."

"There's no one around," Fan Zhongchuan said, holding Ning Yuyi's chin firmly, forcing him to meet his gaze before descending for another kiss.

……

Afterwards, Fan Zhongchuan carried a spent Ning Yuyi back to the villa.

All the way, Ning Yuyi murmured complaints about Fan Zhongchuan, cycling through the same few words.

Jerk, damned, lust-driven...

Unfazed, Fan Zhongchuan placed Ning Yuyi on the bed, guiding him to the bathroom to wash off the sunscreen.

After showering and barely touching the bed, exhaustion took over Ning Yuyi, and he fell asleep instantly.

Fan Zhongchuan then took his own shower. Emerging, he lay down beside Ning Yuyi, embracing him and closing his eyes.

As his eyes closed, the scene that had just unfolded on the sofa replayed in his mind.

Thoughts of Ning Yuyi on his knees, accepting him on the chair, were intertwined with the live stream from the phone, which was broadcasting Xie Yezhou's award acceptance speech. Perhaps triggered by Xie Yezhou's voice, Ning Yuyi became particularly tense. This only served to excite Fan Zhongchuan further.

Fan Zhongchuan kissed the tip of Ning Yuyi's nose, his eyes brimming with affection.

Upon waking, Ning Yuyi found Weibo flooded with trending topics about the Grand Drama Awards.

The hottest topic was Xie Yezhou winning the Best Actor award.

Many expressed regret that the series "Jiandao" hadn't finished airing; otherwise, it could have participated in this year's awards.

[If "Jiandao" had finished, Ning Yuyi might've been this year's Best Supporting Actor. His acting is so good, even better than his brother's.]

[Even though Ning's acting is indeed better than our Zhouzhou, could you give some face to Zhouzhou on his Best Actor trend?]

Reply [Sorry, my bad.]

[I've noticed that ever since it was revealed Ning Yuyi is the youngest son of the Xie family, Xie Yezhou's fans have become much less aggressive. Now, they seem like comedic fans.]

[Agreed. I remember when Xie Yezhou's fans would fiercely argue with haters and fans of other celebrities. Now, they just make light-hearted comments and report. Much more Zen now.]

[Xie Yezhou looked so handsome tonight. The lighting at the Grand Drama Awards was a disaster, but he still stood out.]

[Right! My sister usually looks so fair-skinned, but the lighting made her look so yellow and short!]

[It seems only Xie Yezhou and Xie Yinan attended the awards. Why didn't Ning Yuyi come?]

[Are you kidding? The Grand Drama Awards invites nominees. What works did Ning Yuyi release this year? "Zhou Yang Emperor" hasn't aired and "Jiandao" hasn't finished. Why would they invite him?]

[Did you eat sht? I've got a special remedy for you—a pile of sht.]

[Funny how every year the Grand Drama Awards invites numerous A-list celebrities. Didn't you know?]

[Probably someone bitter because they've never been invited.]

[It's such a pity. If not for his recent scandal, Xu Yingzhe might've won Best Actor. His acting is better than Xie Yezhou's.]

Reply [Are you female? Still feeling sorry for someone like Xu Yingzhe? I hope when you're pregnant, your husband spends your money on affairs and keeps a mistress.]

Reply [Why are you so aggressive? Typical of Xie Yezhou's fans, just as impulsive as he is. By the way, Xu Yingzhe made his own money. Where did Ruan Xiaohui get her money from, given she doesn't work and relies on Xu Yingzhe?]

Reply [Click on my profile and you'll see I'm not a fan of Xie Yezhou. Moreover, Ruan Xiaohui receives enormous dividends from the Ruan Group annually. Xu Yingzhe's fame also owes much to the resources the Ruan family provided him. Why do you think so many directors treat Xu Yingzhe well? It's because of his wife and her family connections.]

[Hahahaha, I'm dying of laughter! How does it feel to be served? Why no response now?]

Ning Yuyi skimmed through his fans' comments and took a moment for self-reflection.

Ever since going public with his relationship with Fan Zhongchuan, he felt he hadn't been giving his fans consistent responses.

He sighed in relief, logged onto his main Weibo account, selected two photos from his first day there, and posted them.

There were two photos. The first was of an orca leaping out of the water, taken from a ferry, and the second was of himself on the island, with only a hand of Fan Zhongchuan visible.

Shortly after the post went up, fans shifted their attention from the trending topics to this post.

Fans, always keen on scrutinizing photos, quickly noticed something amiss with the hand in the second picture.

[Isn't that Ning Ning's hand???]

[Screenshot and compare! It's not Ning Ning's. His pinkie is a joint shorter than his ring finger, but in this photo, the ring finger is only half a joint taller than the pinkie.]

[??? Is the person above the reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes? So impressive, I didn't even notice the hand (I'm such a ditz).]

[Given that Father Xie attended a business event today, Xie Yiezhou and Xie Yinan are at the Grand Drama Festival, and Zhou Er's hand looks bulkier than the one in the photo, so the hand in the picture, you know...]

[There's only one answer. That hand belongs to Mr. Fan.]

[So, is Ning Ning out having fun with Mr. Fan?!!! They must be so happy!]

……

Seeing the comment that guessed it was his hand, Fan Zhongchuan's lips curled into a satisfied smirk, and he liked the comment.

After reading the comments, Ning Yuyi cautiously got out of bed, finding only a slight soreness in his waist.

Checking the time, he saw it was sunset. Ning Yuyi decided to cook for himself.

He called the island's management to have the freshest seafood delivered.

After changing his clothes, Ning Yuyi went to the seaside dock to collect the seafood. To his surprise, in addition to the seafood, an acquaintance also arrived.

"Anxil?" Ning Yuyi looked in astonishment at Anxil, who was helping unload the seafood, "What are you doing here?"

"My family sells islands," Anxil shrugged. "My father sent me here for some hands-on experience. I happened to see your seafood order and thought I'd drop by."

"Want to join us for dinner?" Ning Yuyi invited.

"No thanks," Anxil laughed with a hint of teasing. "If I intrude on your private time tonight, the man behind you might not be pleased."

Ning Yuyi's brow twitched at Anxil's implication.

"Until next time then."

After the boat sailed away, Ning Yuyi turned to find, as expected, Fan Zhongchuan not far behind him.

Seeing the boat leave, Fan Zhongchuan approached Ning Yuyi with purposeful strides.

"Jealous?" Ning Yuyi feigned innocence, sniffing the air, "Such a strong scent of vinegar."

Fan Zhongchuan said with a smirk, "Let's have vinegar stir-fried shrimp for dinner tonight."

Ning Yuyi couldn't help but burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.

As Fan Zhongchuan lifted the freshly unloaded seafood, Ning Yuyi leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"Don't be jealous, I only have eyes for you."

"Whether it's now or in the future."