Chapter 46

Translator: Abo Dammen

Chen Lu hadn’t seen the actual schedule Fang Qizhi had prepared, but just hearing about the grand future he painted still made him feel somewhat expectant. 

Even though, a few days ago at the Qin Corporation, he’d offered suggestions and, based on the budget Qin Guchuan gave him, stood to earn a commission that would probably cover his meal and drinks for life, a large part of his motivation for being a streamer came from genuine enjoyment. If he could reach the top tier in an industry he liked, Chen Lu felt he might be willing to put in a little effort.

Chen Lu had been somewhat successful as a streamer before, but no one had ever told him he could reach the top tier.

Chen Lu started feeling happy bubbles rising in his heart. But then he heard Qin Guchuan close the file Fang Qizhi had handed him, his voice filled with coldness.

“He doesn’t need to do these things. He’s just one person. I can afford to keep him. 

“Even if he becomes the top streamer you mentioned, so what? How much money can he earn? Ten million? A hundred million? A billion? As long as he can make me happy, I can give it all to him.” Qin Guchuan looked down at Fang Qizhi with his gaze. “I don’t have the peculiar hobby of letting others make money off people close to me.”

Hearing this, Chen Lu pursed his lips, but he was very curious about what’s in the document that prompted Qin Guchuan to say such things actually looked like.

After all, this wasn’t scripted dialogue. It was strange that Qin Guchuan dismissed it outright without even asking him.

Fang Qizhi, who completely didn’t think his plan was problematic, was instantly insulted by Qin Guchuan’s look. He could no longer maintain his composure and slammed the table directly at Qin Guchuan. “This is about pursuit! This is about dreams! Not everything can be measured by how much money it makes! 

“I’m the one who cares about him the most! You simply don’t understand him! The Chen Lu in the livestreams is the most dazzling!

“Making money? Qin Guchuan! I, Fang Qizhi, have never lacked money either! If Chen Lu is willing to do as I ask, I won’t take a single cent!

“Do you understand this love of mine? You, with your cold heart and lungs, have no idea what passion is!!!” Fang Qizhi’s eyes were filled with fury as he glared at Qin Guchuan.

Qin Guchuan met Fang Qizhi’s anger directly, his own eyes also showing displeasure. 

Fang Qizhi’s repeated ‘You don’t understand him’ and ‘I care about him the most’ felt like he was dancing all over his face.

In Chen Lu’s livestreams, he, Qin Guchuan, was the number one patron! What right did the eternal number two, Fang Qizhi, have to jump around in front of him?! Who doesn’t occasionally open a livestream while working? Was watching Chen Lu’s stream something to be proud of?

“So what? Right now, the one Chen Lu cares about most is me.” With this very calm statement, Qin Guchuan delivered a one-hit KO to Fang Qizhi. He still remembered the persona Chen Lu was supposed to have in front of Fang Qizhi.

Fang Qizhi’s torrent of angry words was completely blocked by Qin Guchuan’s single sentence. 

This familiar feeling.

This sense of powerlessness when facing a lovestruck fool.

It was just like the feeling he had yesterday at the private club when talking to Chen Lu.

Stuck by Qin Guchuan’s words, Fang Qizhi suddenly heard a faint noise from the second floor. Feeling disadvantaged in the argument, he looked over displeased and spotted Chen Lu secretly hiding in his spot upstairs. 

Qin Guchuan’s reply had also made the sneaking Chen Lu lose his composure a little.

Seeing Chen Lu, Fang Qizhi instantly calmed down.

He realized Chen Lu had made a noise because he heard Qin Guchuan’s words, ‘Right now, Chen Lu cares about me the most.’

Fang Qizhi could already sense Chen Lu’s lovestruck foolishness deepening. 

He couldn’t allow Chen Lu to plunge completely into Qin Guchuan’s fiery pit!

Fang Qizhi suddenly remembered what Chen Lu had said to him during their meeting yesterday. ‘Unless Mr. Qin personally says that Ling Weiyu is more important than me.’

Indeed. Since his own words were useless, let Qin Guchuan be the one to say it. Let Chen Lu hear it with his own ears!

Fang Qizhi took a deep breath and, as if afraid Chen Lu couldn’t hear clearly, asked Qin Guchuan in the loudest voice possible, “Fine! You can say whatever you want! But Qin Guchuan, if you won’t consider Chen Lu, you must at least consider Weiyu-jie, right!!! 

“Have you considered how Weiyu-jie will feel when she returns and sees Chen Lu here?”

Hearing Fang Qizhi finally deliver the complete scripted line, Qin Guchuan felt slightly more favorable towards him. As the plot demands, Qin Guchuan fell silent for a moment.

This minor, plot-required reaction however, seen in Fang Qizhi’s eyes, instantly made him feel heartbroken. Qin Guchuan’s attitude when Ling Weiyu was mentioned was completely different from when they were discussing Chen Lu, immediately revealing how dismissive his previous attitude had been.

Fang Qizhi couldn’t help but glance towards Chen Lu’s direction and saw Chen Lu looking over with eager, expectant eyes that even held a naive joy. 

Chen Lu didn’t feel heartache, but Fang Qizhi, who witnessed the whole scene, could already feel the pain of hopeless affection on his behalf from within that gaze full of delight.

“I won’t let Weiyu find out.” Fang Qizhi heard Qin Guchuan say. Watching Chen Lu closely, he saw the joy in Chen Lu’s eyes didn’t fade immediately upon hearing these words, but his body had already instinctively staggered first, instantly creating a loud noise.

Qin Guchuan sharply turned his head towards the sound, looking at Chen Lu with shocked eyes, and immediately chased after the fleeing Chen Lu.

Fang Qizhi laughed wildly, hysterically, watching it all. With Qin Guchuan’s response, no matter how lovestruck Chen Lu was, he couldn’t continue deceiving himself anymore. Unable to control his laughter, Fang Qizhi also felt an uncontrollable, tearing pain. Chen Lu’s joyful eyes from moments ago lingered in his heart, refusing to fade. 

He had personally destroyed another of Chen Lu’s dreams, even if that dream was just a nightmare woven from countless illusory beauties.

Fang Qizhi laughed for a long time before numbly straightening up. He had no desire to witness the scene of Chen Lu’s shattered dreams, he didn’t have that kind of hobby. Fang Qizhi prepared to leave quietly.

However, as he raised his head to leave, he suddenly noticed the strange and admiring looks the Qin residence servants and bodyguards were giving him.

Fang Qizhi: “?” 

Failing to understand these looks, Fang Qizhi paused his step towards the door and instinctively turned to look at the old butler.

He saw the old butler also looking at him with admiration, giving him a slight bow. “You’ve worked hard, Young Master Fang. Your performance was very impactful. Would you like a cup of tea to rest?”

Fang Qizhi: “???”

Neither Chen Lu nor Qin Guchuan, who were seriously following the plot, cared about Fang Qizhi’s inner turmoil downstairs. The moment Chen Lu started running, the plot content finally appeared in his mind. Chen Lu jogged slowly while gesturing with his hand for Qin Guchuan behind him to also chase slowly. He skimmed three lines at a time, using this ‘chase’ time to read the newly emerged plot. 

But the world’s efficiency in dumping the plot into his mind was as slow as ever. Chen Lu could read fast, but the plot couldn’t be dumped fast.

Based on past efficiency, it usually took over ten minutes for all the plot to be dumped. But even running as slowly as possible, it still took less than a minute to reach his room on the third floor.

Entering the room, Chen Lu followed the plot requirements, pulling out all the things he had brought from home and forcefully throwing them into the suitcase.

The original plot here had extensive descriptions of how ‘Chen Lu’ was heartbroken. This situation made Chen Lu feel helpless. The current progress of the plot flowing in his mind was now parallel to the actual situation. 

No, it was even a step behind the actual situation compared to the plot in his mind.

Chen Lu felt his wrist being grabbed, and the next moment the world spun as he was firmly pinned against the wardrobe.

——”Chen Lu, you’re trying to run away again!!!” Qin Guchuan, his eyes red, angrily said to ‘Chen Lu’.

Listening to Qin Guchuan finish his line, the corresponding sentence slowly appeared in his mind. Chen Lu blinked frantically at Qin Guchuan, hinting, and delivered his next line in the slowest possible voice. 

——”You deceived me. Why couldn’t you just stay bad to me, very, very bad, letting me cling to a sliver of hope?” ‘Chen Lu’ choked out.

Qin Guchuan understood the hint Chen Lu was desperately trying to convey and felt a wave of helplessness.

Why did it have to be this part of the plot that got dumped at this precise time?

Qin Guchuan slowly spoke his lines, watching as Chen Lu, distracted, conversed with him, clearly splitting his attention to catch up on the plot. 

Actually, Qin Guchuan had clearly explained all the acting required for these lines. He felt equally helpless about Chen Lu’s eager anticipation for the plot details he hadn’t mentioned.

Qin Guchuan gazed intently at Chen Lu. After a few slow lines of dialogue, he finally saw a look of confusion clearly appear in Chen Lu’s eyes.

“You… you go find your… Ling… Weiyu… go ahead…”

Listening to what should have been a furious, full-hearted line in the original plot become stammering, Qin Guchuan knew Chen Lu had reached that part of the plot. But the part they needed to act had also reached this point. 

—— Qin Guchuan was stung by ‘Chen Lu’s’ gaze. He saw the love in Chen Lu’s eyes for him slowly extinguishing. Anger and pain surged in Qin Guchuan’s heart as he looked at those lips uttering countless things he completely didn’t want to hear.

Looking at Chen Lu, whose eyes held avoidance, Qin Guchuan’s fingers slowly threaded through Chen Lu’s hair, feeling the slight tremor this caused in the body he held pinned.

Using his wrist to force Chen Lu to lift his head, making him look directly at him, Qin Guchuan gave Chen Lu a signal with his eyes.

Chen Lu pressed his lips together, but finally, under this silent gaze, obediently opened his mouth. 

—— Qin Guchuan urgently swallowed ‘Chen Lu’s’ words.

As described in the plot, the moment Chen Lu’s defenseless lips and teeth opened, they were assaulted by a sudden storm, as if his very breath was being plundered.

Chen Lu instinctively wanted to struggle and call for help, but his thoroughly entangled tongue was played with seamlessly by the invader, unable to make a single sound. In the end, only a faint, physiological swallowing sound escaped his throat.

Yet even this faint sound was covered by the noise of their entangled lips. 

The sticky, wet sounds, accompanied by an intensely sensory, overwhelmingly unfamiliar invigoration, assaulted Chen Lu. After struggling, he subconsciously gripped Qin Guchuan tightly, seeking help from this trusted friend, completely forgetting who was actually delivering this charge.

But Qin Guchuan remembered, and he wanted Chen Lu to remember too.

Chen Lu felt Qin Guchuan’s hand gently massaging the back of his head, seeming both to soothe and to remind.

Reminding Chen Lu not to forget they were performing the plot. 

Under this repeated, soothing pressure, Chen Lu regained a bit of consciousness. He barely managed to extract some thought from the relentless, ceaseless, intense invasion and revisited the text he had just read, finally remembering what he was supposed to do now.

—— Being forcefully devoured by Qin Guchuan, ‘Chen Lu’ felt the violent emotions, the dangerous aura.

—— This can’t continue.

—— ‘Chen Lu’, who could barely even maintain his breath, began to appease Qin Guchuan. 

He needed to appease…

Chen Lu struggled to control his numb, entangled tongue and gently wound it around the other.