Chapter 28 part 1
After arriving at the mountain, Tang Mian went off to play.
Everyone ate lunch at the temple. The children, seeing a bald monk for the first time, were eager to help at every moment, even ignoring their own fathers.
Tang Yue’s mind was filled with Tang Mian and Jiang Shulu’s interactions on the way.
Even though his parents had passed away early when he was on Planet 9787, he understood their influence on him.
A single-parent household wasn’t the sole reason for a child becoming bad, but Tang Yue still wasn’t quite ready to hide it from Tang Mian.
With Jiang Shulu nearby, the more he watched them interact, the more guilty he felt.
Jiang Shulu had a right to know.
Besides, Jiang Shulu didn’t have anyone else around him, nor did he have someone he liked.
He said he wanted to marry someone he loved…
Tang Yue sat under a ginkgo tree, lost in thought, completely unaware that he looked like a human-sized standee, with the livestream even displaying a “non-static image” warning.
In everyone’s eyes, Jiang Shulu was someone who would be tied up with work even on a variety show. At this time, he left to handle some urgent business.
Combined with the new project he’d proposed recently, many speculated that he was about to launch a plan for a full-scale expansion of the Jiang family’s business empire.
Fans who followed this aspect also knew that Jiang Shulu was currently very wealthy, and that every second of his time was precious.
Yet, at the peak of his career, he made the decision to participate in a variety show for half a month.
While “Mountain Journey with Children” was a hit, some people in the industry openly stated that Jiang Shulu’s rebellious spirit was still alive, predicting that there would likely be further twists and turns.
Of course, this was refuted by industry bigwigs, arguing that someone born into the upper echelon would never give up their career for love.
Besides, the show could be just a publicity stunt.
The boss of Chengkong Media, Jiang He, was Jiang Shulu’s uncle, and their businesses were interconnected.
The production team even gave Tang Yue and Jiang Shulu a split screen with muted audio.
One sitting under a ginkgo tree, the other standing before a cypress tree in front of the temple – it truly felt like two different worlds.
In the close-up shot, the pensive Tang Yue looked exceptionally lonely. Jiang Shulu was on a phone call, his expression vastly different from when he was talking to Tang Mian a moment ago.
It perfectly illustrated what it meant to have two faces.
“Screenshotted, so handsome.”
“They can’t say things in front of the live stream, they can talk after it ends, right!”
“You guys don’t understand, love is hard to express! It has a somewhat虐恋 (nüèliàn – masochistic love) feel to it.”
“Yao Lixin said she’s going down to take the cable car, there’s actually a cable car in this remote place!?”
“It’s a scenic spot after all, the tourists in the shot don’t seem like they’d be chasing stars.”
“Jiang Shulu looks so serious, it’s scary. Before, when people said he was the grandson of a wealthy family, I didn’t feel that aura. Now I see, my perspective was too narrow.”
“I suddenly think a bittersweet ending is not bad. Some people analyzed that the Jiang family wouldn’t let Jiang Shulu marry a man, and Tang Yue’s personality isn’t really suitable for such a traditional wealthy family, right?”
“Tang Yue himself is a love child, isolated and helpless. Ugh, I think this is getting even more mysterious.”
Tang Yue didn’t know how long he’d been lost in thought.
When Jiang Shulu came over, he saw ginkgo leaves clinging to Tang Yue’s clothes, giving him a feeling of lonely eternity.
The livestream split screen was still on; to the viewers, it looked like Jiang Shulu walked from one side of the screen to the other, with a kind of courageous determination to break free from his usual environment.
“Did the production team hire a film crew for the camerawork?”
“This kind of shot, I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere. Livestreams can actually be done like this?”
“It feels like this show is doing some pretty new things.”
“Jiang Shulu’s expression is so tender, whenever he faces Tang Yue… it’s so different!”
Jiang Shulu: “What are you thinking about? Little Mian has been waiting for you there for a long time.”
Only then did Tang Yue come to his senses. Jiang Shulu reached out and took the ginkgo leaves off his clothes, looking particularly considerate.
Tang Yue suddenly stood up, Jiang Shulu’s hand was empty, so he looked up at Tang Yue.
The livestream audience still couldn’t hear the sound.
Jiang Shulu knew the recording equipment was off. He waved to Tang Mian, who had countless red ribbons hanging all over him near the threshold, while taking Tang Yue’s hand.
“I have something to ask you.”
Tang Yue was startled. He glanced at the surrounding cameras, his lips trembling.
After a moment, he asked: “Here?”
“Ask me here?”
He touched his microphone again.
Jiang Shulu: “What did you mean by what you said yesterday?”
“What did he say!! Let me hear it!”
“The composition is so beautiful.”
Tang Yue wanted to escape, but Jiang Shulu didn’t let go.
The angle was fresh; Tang Yue didn’t think he’d ever seen the other person like this.
It was a bit of a high-angle shot, requiring Jiang Shulu to look up. Their eye contact seemed to create a feeling of burning intensity.
Jiang Shulu: “Why don’t you feel qualified?”
The audience couldn’t hear, but the staff around them could. They professionally maintained their silence.
The way the camera switched seemed to be enough to make people feel Tang Yue’s tension at the moment.
But his hand was held tightly by Jiang Shulu, so tightly that it gave the impression of an unwavering commitment on screen.
It was as if Jiang Shulu had missed a chance once, and if he let go this time, it would become a complete regret.
Tang Yue: “It’s the literal meaning.”
Jiang Shulu: “Really?”
He stared at Tang Yue again, and the livestream audience suddenly felt like they were jumping in a melon patch (referring to gossip).
Some had already read his lips, jumping around in the comments.
“No—qual—i—fied! What does it mean! I need to know too.”
“Damn! Did they have a whole night of conflict without us knowing? These two really have something going on?”
“I’ve watched Away’s material all night, I really can’t see anything from back then, Tang Yue was very cautious from the beginning.”
“Did they know each other before?”
“No way, looking at Tang Yue’s information and Jiang Shulu’s together, they are clearly worlds apart.”
“To use a popular meme, it’s the real son and the love child… although they’re not from the same family.”
Tang Yue really couldn’t look at Jiang Shulu anymore.
The feel of his skin almost burned his head, and he was afraid that he would turn this handshake into a hug in public.
Tang Yue had so much he wanted to say.
But he didn’t answer at the moment.
He just stood there in silence.