Chapter 21 PART 3
Yao Lixin, who was having dinner with everyone, clearly sensed the unusual atmosphere between Tang Yue and Jiang Shulu.
Before, Tang Yue wouldn’t dare look at Jiang Shulu, but he wouldn’t refuse to sit next to him, would he?
Why is he now deliberately clinging to the child?
Even with a full-day broadcast, this live variety show would consider the children’s energy levels.
The production team completely misjudged, however; by the afternoon, it was the adults who were sleepy, while the children were full of energy and didn’t want to go home at all.
In the evening, everyone ate at the grandmother’s house, a bamboo weaving workshop by the riverbank.
The children received special attention; each got a large chicken leg.
Tang Yue sat next to Tang Mian. Although he’s the father, he looked small, pitiful, and helpless.
Tang Mian looked at his father, who had a poor appetite, and then at Jiang Shulu, who was sitting at the other end of the table receiving wine from the grandmother. He asked Tang Yue, “Xiao Yue, did you and Uncle Jiang have a fight?”
“Why isn’t he calling him Dad!!”
“It feels like a child returning home and being asked by their parents what happened today, the questions!! The roles are reversed!”
“Xiao Mie is so cute! He’ll definitely be a warm-hearted man when he grows up!!”
“I’ve been watching the footage of the child for the whole afternoon, completely forgetting to watch Tang Yue… and then it became a trending topic??”
Tang Yue: “No.”
Jiang Shulu: “Yes.”
Jiang Shulu’s sudden words overlapped with Tang Yue’s, causing Yao Xuan Yu, who was busy eating his chicken leg, to look over.
“Hahahaha, what’s this!!”
“Was it a fight about where to sleep?”
“The official account is so fast, they already posted the clip of the ferry, it’s so beautiful.”
“This variety show is an epic level after-sales service! Wuwu, urgently calling Liu Xichao to come eat melons—want to see him and Yao Lixin comment on Jiang Shulu and Tang Yue’s performance.”
“That’s too malicious; it would be more interesting if the four of them revealed secrets and fought each other.”
Tang Mian’s face was oily from eating the chicken leg; his chubby face tried to look like he was in charge, but it only made people want to kiss him.
The child tried to look serious as he questioned his father, “Dad, did you bully Uncle Jiang again?”
Tang Yue felt wronged; he almost choked on his breath: “I didn’t! Xiao Mie, why are you like this?”
This conversation didn’t seem like it should be between a 25-year-old and a 5-year-old; it felt like both were five years old.
Tang Mian: “But didn’t you hurt Uncle Jiang’s mouth? Xiao Yue, you told me before that I should be honest.”
Tang Yue was choked by his son; he stammered, “We didn’t fight.”
“Look how wronged our maknae is! I testify that they didn’t fight! It’s just that his chin almost hit something! Of course, if it was that thing in the morning… cough.”
“My mind is full of the scene on the boat just now. I’ve watched countless variety shows and haven’t seen such a coincidence.”
“The ferry was swaying, my heart was swaying too. I suggest that future dramas learn this technique; I feel like I should be underwater, under the bed…”
“Did the program team bribe the ferryman?”
“I feel like the aunt with the children was also very happy… My reaction hahaha”
Jiang Shulu: “It was just me arguing with Xiao Yue.”
He didn’t say anything, and as soon as he spoke, Tang Mian looked at Tang Yue again and seriously asked, “Dad, did you hit Uncle Jiang?”
Tang Yue: “I didn’t… that wasn’t me…”
Uh, it was me, but how am I supposed to say that?
With so many cameras, it would feel weird if I said it!!
Jiang Shulu smiled. The man’s private clothes gave off a comfortable autumn and winter vibe; they’re suitable for hugging someone, suitable for lowering one’s head and kissing.
Especially the look in his eyes when he looked at Tang Yue, completely unrelated to the anger that should be associated with the argument he just mentioned.
The faint indulgence seemed to blend with the light, like weaving an invisible net.
Waiting for Tang Yue to completely open his heart, so he could catch him completely and take him into his arms.
Jiang Shulu: “This injury on my mouth is because I accidentally hit it this morning.”
“Spread the word, Jiang Shulu also got a hit.”
“What, what?”
Tang Yue nodded vigorously, gratefully glancing at Jiang Shulu, but unexpectedly, Jiang Shulu tilted his head slightly and asked Yao Lixin: “Tang Yue said he wants to sleep with you tonight.”
Tang Mian: “Dad, did you guys fight because of this?”
Before Tang Yue could speak, Yao Lixin, who was originally looking at his phone and eating melons, seemed to be punched hard: “What? Why sleep with me?”
It sounded like he disliked Tang Yue.
Tang Yue felt a little sad: “Does Second Brother hate me?”
“This sentence seems familiar.”
“Hilarious, Jiang Shulu’s devilish whisper: The maknae wants to sleep with you, hidden voice: Be sensible and refuse me.”
“Is it not a loss to invest now?”
Yao Lixin: “I’m taking care of the children, how can we sleep together?”
The scenery by the riverbank bamboo weaving workshop was very good; the audience seemed to be able to see the lights on both sides of the river from the guests’ perspective.
The early autumn weather was exceptionally cool, and there were elderly people carrying burdens selling local products passing by outside the window.
The noisy recording created a very real environment.
It’s easy to forget that this is a variety show; it’s like many ordinary people’s live broadcasts on the live-streaming platform, just a corner of life.
Yao Lixin: “It’s been rumored for years that you two aren’t close, if you sleep separately again, are you going to confirm the rumors?”
“Second brother, you’re really brave hahaha!”
“Wasn’t there a very popular video back then? It seemed to prove that Away’s group spirit was fabricated, and the examples given were all about Jiang Shulu and Tang Yue.”
“Looking back now, it all seems like sweet moments, the two-way unrequited love is too strong, all thanks to Tang Yue! He shipped himself and others, causing us to buy the wrong stock!”
After Yao Lixin finished speaking, Tang Mian was the first to react; while eating his chicken leg, he asked, “Why aren’t you close? Does Dad not like Uncle Jiang?”
Jiang Shulu naturally continued: “Yes, doesn’t Tang Yue like me?”
Asking this question in this situation seemed particularly straightforward, and it was mixed with the sincerity of the children’s innocent words.
At least the other child wouldn’t think wrong; he curiously looked at the two men sitting opposite each other across the table.
Yao Lixin raised an eyebrow and didn’t speak.
“What a question!!”
“Suddenly remembered that before, an employee who worked at Jiang Shulu’s company anonymously said that their boss was a heartless tyrant, but now it doesn’t seem like that at all!”
“Suggest that the employees make a survey! — This man doesn’t seem as template-like as I imagined.”
“Wasn’t there someone who said before? If our world is a book, according to what everyone shipped, Jiang Shulu would definitely be a very template-like character, and he and Liu Xichao give the feeling that the author is forcing it. I can get the sweet moments, but I won’t be addicted…”
“Am I the only one who thinks he means something else?”
“When I was on the boat, I felt that Jiang Shulu had that… feeling of wanting to possess Tang Yue.”
“Away, what secrets are there that I don’t know hahaha so exciting!! Looking forward to Liu Xichao joining the chaos.”
“I suspect Yao Lixin is paid to watch the show and enjoy the fun.”
Tang Yue held his chopsticks in one hand; five years of hiding had made him unable to experience this kind of continuous tension for a day for a long time.
After transmigrating to this world, besides the initial panic, after learning that he could have a stage, he became more open-minded.
During training, the teacher said he could treat it as nothing, just relax.
This is just the beginning; no one expected Tang Yue to fully implement it.
Other idols need a sense of presence, but he likes to leave the spotlight to others; even in group interviews, he hides in the back.
Like a fearful mole.
Tang Yue was very nervous for his first performance, so nervous that his hands were shaking.
The stylist saw that he couldn’t even button his shirt and found it funny; she asked if she should help.
But Tang Yue didn’t want her to come over and help; he stood there like a shivering wet cat in the rain.
Liu Xichao and Yao Lixin went to put on makeup; Tang Yue was still dawdling when Jiang Shulu came over and, without saying a word, bent down and buttoned Tang Yue’s shirt.
Other people button their shirts from top to bottom; only Jiang Shulu buttoned them from bottom to top, half-squatting to bending down, and finally lowering his head.
His distinct knuckles buttoned the buttons, as if suppressing Tang Yue’s trembling completely.
Finally, Jiang Shulu gave Tang Yue a serious hug and said not to be afraid, he was there.
This made Tang Yue addicted; he dreamt of that kind of hug.
Knowing it was impossible, he still classified it as special because Jiang Shulu was always clear-cut in his dealings, with impeccable maturity.
I wonder what he’s like to his loved ones?
Would Jiang Shulu be like in the novels he’s read?
Embedding that person in his arms, outlining them inch by inch, pressing his lips to the other person’s neck, creating a beautiful scene that even the audience would find numbingly erotic?
But none of this had anything to do with Tang Yue; Jiang Shulu was destined to belong to someone else.
At that time, Tang Yue pushed Jiang Shulu away and said thank you, then ran away.
He didn’t notice Jiang Shulu’s helpless sigh.
Like a tree that has grown for millions of years, waiting for the stone beside it to bloom.
But at that time, the tree didn’t know that it would be inseparable from the stone, nor did it know that the stone could be pierced by the tree’s roots and leave seeds.
But now it’s different.
Tang Yue thought: The captain isn’t with the third brother, can I relax a little…
Express a little of my secret… liking.
Even if I still don’t have the courage to reveal my secret.
The barrage was full of fans’ screams, and many were still chatting irrelevantly amidst the overwhelming comments.
Seeing that Tang Yue wasn’t speaking, Tang Mian sighed deeply, “Dad, why do you always space out? Should you take some health supplements?”
The little guy mumbled, “But it’s okay if you don’t like Uncle Jiang, later…”
But Tang Yue spoke.
He seemed to have summoned a lot of courage, in this not-so-large space, he raised his eyes to meet Jiang Shulu’s gaze.
It wasn’t like before, nor was it the fleeting touch of the afternoon.
Tang Yue looked back seriously, as if the lights on both sides of the river behind Jiang Shulu were reflected in his eyes.
It was the longing for love from the lonely Tang Yue from Planet 9787.
He hadn’t yet obtained the love he longed for, but he had already tasted the bitterness of love.
But Tang Yue found that there was nothing to resent; at this moment, he was even a little fortunate; it wasn’t as bad as he thought.
Could he, who couldn’t be the male lead, also disrespectfully tell the male lead that he liked him?
Even if he might still not be able to escape the death ending pre-set by fate.
Tang Yue: “I like him.”
He smiled at Jiang Shulu, with a little shyness, and a little bit of something undefinable, pure and clear.
Like a wild fire, lightly igniting Jiang Shulu’s wasteland.
Tang Yue: “How could I not like the captain?”
“Kill me!! —”
“I’m not living anymore, why is the background sound muted!!”
“I’m kowtowing to the planner.”
“I suspect this director is someone who shipped this pair back then.”
“Yao Lixin, you actually recorded it?? Damn, send me a collector’s edition.”
“Tang Mian, the father’s actions cannot be controlled, but I think you seem very happy.”