Chapter 19

Translator: Abo Dammen

Chen Lu struck a melodramatic, sorrow-drenched pose. Qin Guchuan had to force his expression to remain solemn, desperately fighting the urge to break into laughter. He recited in his head all the villainous deeds he’d be committing in later plotlines, just to steady himself enough not to crack. 

When he finally pronounced the name Wei Yu, his voice came out low and trembling, as though shaken by some deep emotion.

At last, that scene was done.

Exhaling in relief, Qin Guchuan allowed himself a fleeting grimace of sheer secondhand embarrassment before striding toward the terrace, his movements brisk and liberated now that the ordeal was behind him.

Behind him, Chen Lu perked up at the sound of approaching footsteps. Spotting Qin Guchuan, his eyes lit up, and he bounded forward like an overexcited puppy. “See? Didn’t I say I’d be fine!” 

Whatever simmering irritation Qin Guchuan had carried dissolved in the face of that bright, foolish energy.

You can’t argue with an idiot, he told himself, soothing his temper with the radiance of Chen Lu’s grin, so dazzling it almost rivaled the sun.

Chen Lu, of course, had no idea Qin Guchuan had climbed up here intending to scold him. He only thought: The scene’s over already? And I didn’t even feel anything! This must be the joy of slacking off without consequences!

Emboldened, he smirked, tilted his head, and, right in front of Qin Guchuan, struck that same theatrical pose again: one hand tucked behind his head, elbow angled at forty-five degrees toward the sky, the other hand pressed dramatically to his chest. 

But this time, instead of feigning melancholy, Chen Lu twisted his face into something playful, fluttering exaggerated winks at Qin Guchuan while chanting in a sing-song rhythm, “How about it! Have! You! Fallen! In! Love! With! Me!!”

Qin Guchuan: “……”

“Can’t you just stand properly for once?” His temples throbbed.

“What? I wasn’t melancholic enough?” Chen Lu stared, genuinely baffled at being scolded. 

Looking into that guileless expression, Qin Guchuan realized with dismay that Chen Lu honestly believed his antics were the epitome of gloom. “…Where do you even get these ideas from?”

Quick as lightning, Chen Lu whipped out his phone, tapped through his gallery, and proudly pulled up his personal collection of “Melancholy Pose Masterpieces.” He opened one photo and held it up. “See? Very melancholic!”

Qin Guchuan glanced down. Sure enough, the model in the image exuded unmistakable sorrow. And yet…

He inhaled sharply, squared his shoulders, and mimicked the exact same pose. Then he turned toward Chen Lu and demanded, “Do you really think this looks melanc—” 

He didn’t even get to finish before Chen Lu burst out laughing, so violently he couldn’t hold it in for even a second.

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

It was terribly rude, but come on, it was President Qin, the ever-serious tyrant CEO, earnestly striking some melodramatic fashion-model pose. No mortal could resist.

Qin Guchuan: “…………” 

Why… why had he ever decided to buy this man a phone? Watching Chen Lu collapse onto the floor in hysterics, Qin Guchuan, for the first time, questioned all his life choices.

At last, patience frayed to the limit, he grabbed the back of Chen Lu’s collar and hoisted him off the ground. Dangling with his feet in the air, Chen Lu’s laughter cut off abruptly as if his IQ had finally returned to its post.

“Can we talk properly now?” Qin Guchuan asked with grim gentleness.

“Yes.” Chen Lu, suddenly meek and docile, answered at once. 

Qin Guchuan narrowed his eyes, suspicious, but lowered him back to the ground. He didn’t release the collar, though, He had the distinct sense that the second he let go, Chen Lu would dart off like a runaway kite.

“From now on,” Qin Guchuan said, “we’re doing rehearsals before any big scenes. I refuse to look up at another contorted version of you and have to act tender about it.”

Chen Lu thought for a moment, realized the man was right, then quickly flipped through his mental script. “Then should we head to the garden first?”

The next plotline was supposed to be simple. 

——“Chen Lu” would stroll through the garden, spot a single blooming lily, his favorite, and light up with joy. He would tend to it with gentle care, inhale its fragrance with a smile, and before leaving, whisper tenderly that he’d return tomorrow to see it again.

——All of this, of course, would be witnessed by Qin Guchuan. Later, at dinner, “Chen Lu” would notice a lily sitting in a vase on the table. Its butterfly-wing patterned petals were all too familiar—exactly the same flower from the garden.

——“Chen Lu’s” eyes would widen in horror. But Qin Guchuan would mistake his reaction for delight, and say with unruffled calm, “You like it? Then keep it in your room. That way you can always see it.”

——Obedient but reluctant, “Chen Lu” would accept the lily from the servant’s hands, and cue a long stretch of inner monologue: he was just like this flower—something to be plucked and arranged at will, left to slowly wither away in a vase. 

——Tears would fall. He would convince himself this fragile sorrow was exactly what Qin Guchuan wanted from him, so he didn’t bother to hold it back. Yet to Qin Guchuan, that tear-streaked face only sparked agitation.

——Why could he smile so happily at a flower, yet never spare a smile for me? Qin Guchuan fumed inwardly. He gave this man everything. Lxury, comfort, nothing lacking. And yet still he dared to cozy up to Zhu Yi.

——“Smile for me,” Qin Guchuan would command, his voice cold and sharp.

——Startled, “Chen Lu” would clutch the lily tight, shudder, and twist his lips into a pained parody of a smile. 

“Only… that lily with the butterfly markings shouldn’t even be blooming yet,” the real Chen Lu remarked, with the air of someone dutifully fact-checking the script. “Your garden doesn’t even have other lilies to practice with. It’s not lily season this month anyway.”

As for why the butterfly lily bloomed out of schedule? Well, that was the kind of bug best not examined too closely. This book had plenty of them. If you think too hard about them, your brain cells might disappear.

“No need to go to the garden. And it doesn’t have to be a lily.” Qin Guchuan spoke evenly as he plucked a flower from a decorative vase in the hallway and tossed it at Chen Lu. “Use this one for rehearsal.”

Chen Lu caught it, looked down, and found it was a vivid red rose. He raised his head slowly, his expression caught between bafflement and amusement. “You just picked a rose and gave it to me. Somehow, that feels a little weird.” 

Qin Guchuan: “……”

“That’s a Chinese rose.” Qin Guchuan said flatly. But after the words left his mouth, even he couldn’t resist being pulled into Chen Lu’s rhythm of mockery. “And you, who just a moment ago wouldn’t shut up about ‘Do you love me yet?’, what right do you have to say this feels weird?”

“You’re right.” Chen Lu thought for a moment, then shamelessly accepted the jab. One hand pressed lightly against his cheek, the other twirling the red rose in exaggerated drama as he cooed, “You’re so domineering~ I like it so much~”

The vein that twitched on Qin Guchuan’s temple at those words only made Chen Lu burst into laughter. Vengeance tasted sweet. At last, he had avenged being hauled up by the scruff of the neck earlier. He quickly hopped back two steps, putting safe distance between them. 

Seeing Qin Guchuan’s patience fray to its very limits, Chen Lu immediately straightened up with a solemn face. “Alright, rehearsal!!!”

…This guy. One of these days, he was going to find a chance to beat him up, Qin Guchuan told himself coldly.

Unaware of the looming “crisis,” Chen Lu dutifully reined in his clownish antics. He closed his eyes, recalled the delicate mannerisms of his “little white flower” act, and when he opened them again, the melancholic bloom was back.

To be honest, he wasn’t half bad. 

Qin Guchuan gave a rare, straightforward assessment. After all, before he knew Chen Lu had transmigrated here, He really hadn’t felt anything off when watching him perform during “plot hours.”

…Well, aside from that one time with the wallet at his chest.

This rehearsal went smoothly enough. For someone who wasn’t a professional actor, Chen Lu’s movements and expressions were a little over the top, but nothing disastrous. The only hiccup came when, while tending to the flower, he accidentally tore off a petal from the red rose. Panicking, he stuck it back into place as discreetly as he could.

But wasn’t that the whole point of rehearsals? Chen Lu puffed himself up with righteous confidence, then snuck a glance at Qin Guchuan. 

As both in-world and out-of-world audience, Qin Guchuan had no real objections. He even thought Chen Lu’s performance here felt natural, almost like his true self.

Because, in truth, Chen Lu was someone who could laugh without a care at just about anything.

Qin Guchuan sighed inwardly. He nodded at Chen Lu, and the way the boy’s tentative look lit up instantly with his approval. His face was disarming. Those bright eyes narrowed happily, joy spilling from them as if Qin Guchuan’s casual nod meant the world.

It carried a strange kind of infectiousness, as though even the smallest affirmation from him held weight beyond measure. 

Pulling his gaze away, Qin Guchuan said simply, “The next scene is in the dining room.”

At this, Chen Lu perked up with eagerness. He leaned close and flattered him with a singsong, “Dearest Mr. Qin~ I really think the timing of the dining room scene is vague enough. How about we wait until I’ve finished eating before we start it?”

The word “dearest” drilled straight into Qin Guchuan’s ears, leaving him in silence for two whole seconds.

How to put it… Chen Lu’s wheedling was strangely effective on him. 

But still…

“According to the script, after giving a ‘painful smile’,’ it says, ‘Chen Lu’ ate nothing and silently returned to his room.” Qin Guchuan delivered the line calmly.

This time, it was Chen Lu’s turn to fall silent. He looked at Qin Guchuan with pitiful eyes. “I didn’t eat yesterday or today.”

Healthy meals don’t count as real food.  

As he spoke, Chen Lu suddenly grabbed Qin Guchuan’s hand and pressed it against his arm, complaining with sarcasm. “See? If I don’t eat soon, I’m going to start growing muscles!”

Almost without thinking, Qin Guchuan gave his arm a light squeeze. The warmth and softness beneath his palm startled him.

Chen Lu, catching the subtle shift in atmosphere, tilted his head up, eyes searching Qin Guchuan’s face.