Chapter 61 Extra 1

Chapter 61 Extra 1

Side Couple 1: "Zhu Hongke (Top) X Ye Jia (Bottom)"

Since being forced by Ye Weian to study, Ye Jia had been diligent and conscientious... but that was only on the surface.

As a slacker, being driven to improve by his cousin was truly agonizing, utterly miserable...

He had originally thought that after his cousin got engaged, soaked in love, he would finally go easy on him.

Instead, his cousin doubled down and piled on even more assignments, so he had to work until seven or eight every day before getting off work.

That day, as usual, his cousin assigned him tasks. Under the guidance of Brother Zhang and Sister Long, he completed the proposal, only to realize it was already 8 p.m.

As he packed up to leave, he received a call from Zhu Hongke.

"Still at the office?" Zhu Hongke's voice was deep and magnetic.

It seemed like all lawyers had appealing voices.

Ye Jia’s thoughts drifted idly as he murmured in acknowledgment. "Just about to head home."

Zhu Hongke said, "I’m downstairs."

Ye Jia paused.

Since their trip to the hot springs, he had only seen Zhu Hongke at his cousin’s engagement banquet. After that, Zhu Hongke had been on a business trip abroad, so it had been two weeks since they last met.

They kept in touch daily, but Zhu Hongke seemed very busy, only consistently messaging or calling him around noon.

Ye Jia asked in surprise, "You’re back in the country?"

He hadn’t given any prior notice.

Zhu Hongke chuckled over the phone. "Yeah, I’m at the entrance."

Ye Jia quickly grabbed his things and hurried out.

Sister Long happened to take the same elevator down with him. Noticing his buoyant mood, she teased, "Seems like you’re full of energy. Should I ask President Ye to double your workload tomorrow?"

"???" Ye Jia was horrified.

Is this what a capitalist’s henchman is like???

Sister Long looked at him amusedly. "Capitalist? I’ll make sure to tell President Ye you said that tomorrow."

Ye Jia: "...My bad, Sister Long."

Sister Long burst out laughing.

She quite liked Ye Jia—a bit naïve but honest and endearing.

When they reached the entrance, Sister Long spotted Zhu Hongke standing beside a Maybach and suddenly understood.

So Jia Jia was so cheerful because of Lawyer Zhu.

Winter was almost over; spring was on its way.

After saying goodbye to Sister Long, Ye Jia hurried over to Zhu Hongke. "Have you been waiting long?"

Zhu Hongke smiled, took the backpack from him, and opened the car door. "Not long. How about we grab something to eat first?"

Ye Jia nodded. "Sure."

They went to Camphor Pavilion.

Zhu Hongke ordered several of Ye Jia’s favorite dishes, and Ye Jia ate to his heart’s content.

Once he was full, Ye Jia remembered to ask, "Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back? Is the overseas acquisition wrapped up? Do you still need to go back?"

"I wanted to surprise you," Zhu Hongke said, smiling at him. "The acquisition is finished. No need to go back."

He paused, his gaze deepening. "I don’t have any business trips until after the New Year. From now on, I can pick you up after work every day."

Ye Jia’s face turned slightly red under the light.

...They didn’t have that kind of relationship. Lawyer Zhu was just his cousin's fiancé's childhood friend—what would people think if he picked Ye Jia up after work every day?

But he didn’t dare ask.

Zhu Hongke noticed his expression, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

He glanced at his watch and said, "We still have some time. How about seeing an opera?"

Ye Jia: "..."

Dinner, followed by a movie or an opera—it was the classic dating pattern.

He... really wanted to go, but...

Ye Jia also checked the time and shook his head. "I have to go home."

Zhu Hongke looked at him gently. "Don’t you want to go to the opera with me?"

"It’s not that..." Ye Jia scratched his cheek. "My cousin wants me back by 10 p.m."

It was already past nine. Getting from Camphor Pavilion to his home would take half an hour, just making it by ten.

Zhu Hongke: "?"

Did his cousin set a curfew for Jia Jia?

It sounded... almost like it was targeted at him.

After a moment of silence, he asked, "When did your cousin—President Ye—set this curfew for you?"

Completely guileless, Ye Jia replied directly, "After we went to the hot springs."

Zhu Hongke: "..."

He was sure now—his cousin was on guard against him.

For a moment, Zhu Hongke didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

After a brief pause, he said, "Alright, I’ll take you home."

Then he added, "It’s been a while since I’ve seen A Chen and President Ye. I’ll pay them a visit."

Ye Jia murmured an acknowledgment.

Zhu Hongke fetched his coat and scarf, helping him put them on before preparing to leave.

But Ye Jia stood still without moving.

At that moment, they were facing each other. Zhu Hongke had just wrapped the scarf around him, and they were standing very close.

"Jia Jia, what's wrong?" Zhu Hongke asked softly.

Ye Jia blinked and replied in an even lower voice, "You... picking me up after work, inviting me to the opera... are you trying to pursue me?"

His face was as red as a ripe apple.

Zhu Hongke gazed at him deeply, then suddenly chuckled softly.

"Yes," he said, taking Ye Jia's hand, his voice tender enough to melt. "And what about you, Jia Jia? Would you let me pursue you?"

Ye Jia lowered his head, his ears turning red as well.

Zhu Hongke didn’t rush him, simply waiting quietly for his answer.

Ye Jia took a deep breath, suddenly looked up, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and stepped back swiftly. "Yes."

Zhu Hongke’s eyes filled with a smile, like the first thaw of spring snow.

He held Ye Jia’s hand and said gently, "I’ll find time to talk to your sister-in-law, so she feels comfortable entrusting you to me."

Only then did Ye Jia realize why his brother had set a curfew for him, and he froze in surprise.

Zhu Hongke adored his dazed expression and lightly touched his cheek with a fingertip, smiling. "Let’s go, I’ll take you home."

*

Secondary Couple 2: "Qi Zhangbai (top) X Lin Chang (bottom)"

Since the variety show went viral, Lin Chang had gained both clout and public attention.

But he didn’t blindly capitalize on this fame for quick money. After filming *The Year the Wind Rose*, he chose another serious drama, playing the son of the male lead.

He felt his acting skills still needed improvement and wanted to spend more time on set refining his skills under the director.

Ye Weian admired his attitude and specifically instructed President Wang of Lemon Entertainment to carefully mentor Lin Chang.

By the time Lin Chang finished his third drama, summer vacation was approaching. *The Year the Wind Rose* was set to release during the break, so he freed up some time to focus on promoting the film.

One day, he received a call from Qi Zhangbai, who mentioned that the film’s production was complete and asked if he’d like to preview the finished film.

"Sure!" Lin Chang was very excited.

He followed the location Qi Zhangbai sent him on WeChat and arrived at Qi Zhangbai’s villa.

Qi Zhangbai opened the door to let him in and asked, "No reporters followed you?"

Lin Chang was very popular now, even more so than the previous year.

The serious drama he had taken on had high ratings, and his portrayal of the male lead’s son had won over a lot of female fans.

During that time, he also participated in a parenting variety show, attracting even more fans with his humor and charm.

As a result, he broke into the mainstream, and paparazzi followed him wherever he went.

After changing into slippers and removing his mask, Lin Chang said, "They did, but I shook them off."

Qi Zhangbai looked at him with some surprise. "Your driving’s gotten this good?"

He remembered that Lin Chang had just gotten his driver’s license while filming *The Year the Wind Rose* last year.

Lin Chang raised an eyebrow proudly. "Of course!"

He was practically beaming. "I’m very skilled now, my driving is totally reliable!"

Qi Zhangbai gave him a thoughtful look and suddenly smiled. "Got it, your driving skills are excellent."

Lin Chang: "..."

For some reason, he felt there was something off about Director Qi’s comment.

But he didn’t dwell on it and said excitedly, "Let’s go watch the movie now! I can’t wait to see the final product!"

*The Year the Wind Rose* was his first film. He had been put through the wringer by Director Qi to deliver satisfactory shots, and he was eager to see his performance.

Qi Zhangbai led him to the home theater. "Follow me."

A little over an hour later, the movie ended, but Lin Chang remained immersed in the story, silent for a long time.

It was a rather tragic tale—the male and female leads kept missing each other due to fate, and ultimately, the male lead sacrificed his life, parting them forever by death.

Qi Zhangbai poured him a glass of warm water and handed it to him. "It’s just a story, don’t get too caught up in it."

Lin Chang took slow sips of the water, then suddenly fixed a bright gaze on Qi Zhangbai and said, "I acted really well!"

Qi Zhangbai: "..."

So his earlier silence wasn’t due to the sadness of the plot but because he was admiring his own acting skills?

"Of course not!" Lin Chang said. "I also found the story very sad... but I’m an optimistic person. If I like someone, I wouldn’t struggle to confess like the male lead. I’d tell the whole world that I like them!"

Qi Zhangbai looked at him. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Qi Zhangbai’s gaze deepened. "So, do you have someone you like right now?"

Lin Chang was taken aback.

Qi Zhangbai: "You probably don’t like anyone, do you? Otherwise, you would’ve already confessed and announced it to the world."

Lin Chang: "..."

"But I want to confess to you," Qi Zhangbai said, smiling. "Would you give it some thought?"

Lin Chang’s jaw dropped.

Since the filming of *The Year the Wind Rose* ended, he and Qi Zhangbai had rarely met. They didn’t chat much on WeChat either—at most, Qi Zhangbai liked his posts, and he reposted Qi Zhangbai’s movie reviews on Weibo.

But there was no deeper connection.

Lin Chang tilted his head and looked at Qi Zhangbai for a while before asking, "When did you start liking me?"

Qi Zhangbai: "Of course, it was during filming."

Lin Chang suddenly slapped his thigh. "I knew it! I always felt you had a thing for me back then!"

Qi Zhangbai: ". . ."

Qi Zhangbai: "???"

Lin Chang looked at him resentfully: "Back then, I thought you had feelings for me, and I was a little moved too. I even considered confessing to you and seeing where things could go."

"But as soon as the filming ended, you just took off without even giving me a hint." He snorted coldly, "I thought I was just reading too much into it!"

Qi Zhangbai: ". . . Sorry, it wasn’t that I didn’t want to confess to you back then. I just really wanted to focus on finishing the movie. . . It was your first film, and our first collaboration. I wanted it to be as perfect as possible. . ."

From the end of filming until now, he had been completely focused on post-production and hadn’t taken on any new projects during that time.

Hearing this, Lin Chang felt somewhat moved: "Then I forgive you."

Qi Zhangbai smiled and took his hand: "So, are you willing to be with me?"

Lin Chang glanced at him and stayed quiet.

Qi Zhangbai suddenly laughed and pulled him close: "I get it now."

Lin Chang: "???"

Qi Zhangbai kissed his forehead: "Your eyes tell me you’re willing." He paused and added, "Have I ever told you? I pick up on human emotions very strongly, which is why I became a director."

Lin Chang: ". . ."

Yeah, he was indeed willing.

He held Qi Zhangbai’s hand and said: "Let’s come out!"

After all, among his fans, there were very few fans who see me as a boyfriend. Instead, there were many who had always shipped him and Qi Zhangbai as a couple.

Qi Zhangbai himself also followed their CP Super Topic. Hearing this, he smiled and gently pinched his cheek: "Alright, whatever you say."

A few days later, their CP Super Topic was going wild.

Lin Chang collected many fan fiction in the Super Topic and happily shared them with Qi Zhangbai: "Some of them actually think I’m the top. . . They really have good taste. With my strong physique, isn’t it natural that I’d be a good fit for the top role?"

"Of course, I can also learn the ropes."

Qi Zhangbai gave him an amused smirk: "Oh, really?"

Later, on a certain day, he made Lin Chang fully realize who had the better physique and who was truly suited to be the top.

Lin Chang was so worn out he didn’t even want to move a finger. Hoarse and tearful, he cried out: "You must’ve done this before! You lied to me! No one’s first time could be this skilled!"

Qi Zhangbai kissed him and smiled faintly: "I’m just good at practical skills."

Lin Chang: . . . Practical skills? Skills for what? For. . . whom?

Author’s note: Hey everyone, I’m here, and I’ll be posting Extra 2 tonight to wrap things up completely~

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