Chapter 64 – The Scandal Surrounding Cheng Yishu

As expected, Cheng Yishu let out a long “mm” upon hearing Lin Xiaowen’s reply, expressing his satisfaction. He then began to pour out the bitterness of his longing over the past days, complaining about his workload being too intense. Yet, as his tone shifted, he started to ramble about how he wished his work were even busier, so he could return home sooner.

Lin Xiaowen lay sprawled on the sofa, chuckling as she listened to his endless chatter. At the same time, she couldn’t help but wonder, “If the millions of fans found out that their idol is actually a boy who can act cute, pout, loves to nag, and has a bit of a temper, would their jaws drop? After all, no one would ever imagine the cool Cheng Yishu would have anything in common with those adorable adjectives.”

“Hey, what are you giggling about? I’m asking you something!” Cheng Yishu’s voice on the other end of the phone easily pulled Lin Xiaowen’s wandering thoughts back.

“Huh? What?” Lin Xiaowen replied in confusion. “What did you say?”

“You! Chatting with such a handsome man and still getting distracted? Tell me, what were you daydreaming about?”

“No such thing!” Lin Xiaowen bit her lip, laughing softly. “I was just thinking of a funny fairy tale!”

“What kind of story is so interesting? Tell me about it,” Cheng Yishu asked with obvious curiosity. He didn’t believe for a second Lin Xiaowen would think of some fairy tale while talking to him.

“Alright!” Lin Xiaowen swung her slender legs back and forth, smiling brightly. “There was a little lion in the deep forest who wanted to be king of all the animals. The others were really afraid of him! But one day, he went to another forest to study, couldn't get used to life there, and missed his old friends terribly... So he called his neighbor and said, ‘Ah, when will this studying end? I miss you all so much... boo hoo hoo...’”

“Stop!” Cheng Yishu could no longer bear it, gritting his teeth and threatening in a low voice, “Lin Xiaowen, how dare you talk about me like this while I’m gone? And calling me a ‘crybaby’? When have I ever said ‘I miss you’?”

“No, you didn’t say it. I said it for you. Is that alright? I miss you!” Lin Xiaowen spoke each word clearly, then continued with a mischievous smile, “Are you happy now?”

There was half a minute of silence on the other end, followed by Cheng Yishu’s hesitant voice, “Mm... it’s not bad.” He couldn’t hide the joy in his tone, and Lin Xiaowen could almost picture the proud curve of his lips.

That stubborn little lion...

“Mm... I’m not feeling well, so I won’t video call you tonight. Just took a shower and I’m about to sleep. Tomorrow I have to get up early to shoot on location at the seaside,” Cheng Yishu sighed deeply, sounding genuinely exhausted. Lin Xiaowen couldn’t help but feel a surge of concern. She didn’t understand why he had to film abroad—weren’t there beautiful locations in China?

But she wouldn’t ask. After all, it was beyond her understanding, and all she could do was cheer him on from behind.

“Go to bed early then, rest well, don’t stay up too late... And, make sure you stay safe!”

“Hehe... mm, got it.” Cheng Yishu’s voice grew even lower, as if humming from deep within his throat, sounding utterly drained. “...Once this film wraps up, let’s take Ranran on a trip, find a place with beautiful scenery and lots of delicious food... And most importantly, we must...” Lin Xiaowen frowned, pressing her ear hard to the phone... In the end, all she heard was Cheng Yishu’s steady breathing—he had fallen asleep?

Lin Xiaowen couldn’t help but laugh and cry, listening for a while longer to make sure Cheng Yishu was really fast asleep before she hung up. The ache in her heart only deepened.

So this is the hardship behind all that glamour...

Yes, is there any profession that’s truly carefree and unfettered? Even those at the top—like Si Dong, the designated heir of the Si family...

Thinking of that bright, spring-like youth, Lin Xiaowen’s heart trembled at his name. Si Dong was the one she had loved with all her youth! How was he now, up in heaven?

Would he blame her for forgetting him, for letting someone else move into her heart? Would he resent her for not keeping their promise, for not taking the white lotus to visit him again...

Si Nan—just thinking of this man, who had so clearly expressed his interest in her, gave Lin Xiaowen a headache.

Who could tell her how to resolve all of this?

Lin Xiaowen didn’t dare think further; she buried her head in the soft cushion. No matter how tightly her brows knitted, it couldn’t solve any of her confusion...

“After the breakup with his former agent Tan Jing, the popular young star Cheng Yishu was recently seen hand-in-hand with newcomer An An... A netizen reports witnessing the two feeding each other intimately on the streets of Tokyo, Japan, appearing very much like lovers...”

“No way, Cheng Yishu just went abroad and already got involved with a female star? What does he mean by this?” With a slap, Xu Ningning slammed her phone on the counter, startling Lin Xiaowen so much her shoulders twitched. It was as if her own boyfriend had cheated.

Lin Xiaowen gently patted Xu Ningning’s shoulder, comforting her, “It’s okay, don’t be upset... I’ve packed your goods, you’d better hurry over there. It’s the weekend and Xiaoying can’t handle everything alone...”

“Hey, Lin Xiaowen, are you out of your mind? This is Cheng Yishu—news about Cheng Yishu!” Xu Ningning was nearly fuming as she continued, “Even if you haven’t checked the hot search or headlines, I just read it to you and you’re still unmoved? What are you thinking?”

Faced with Xu Ningning’s barrage, Lin Xiaowen could only keep patting her back, softly reassuring her, “It’s all fake. Last night, he was so tired after our phone call he fell asleep—how could he have the energy to go shopping with a female star? And the whole sweet feeding thing...”

“Then how do you explain this?” Xu Ningning grabbed her phone, pushing the photos right up to Lin Xiaowen’s face, so indignant that Lin Xiaowen again felt like Xu Ningning was actually Cheng Yishu’s girlfriend.

“Well... just because there are photos doesn’t mean it’s true! Haven’t you heard of photo editing? Or maybe it’s just people talking based on pictures?” Lin Xiaowen argued forcefully, raising her voice.

“Lin Xiaowen, I think you trust Cheng Yishu too much. He already has a face that makes people uneasy, and now he’s not even around... No, next time he goes abroad or anywhere for work, you need to go with him!”

Xu Ningning’s eyes gleamed with determination—her first step in helping Lin Xiaowen guard her love.

“That’s too much!” Lin Xiaowen replied with a helpless smile. “I’m not part of his company, what would I do there? Am I supposed to announce it to the whole world?”

Lin Xiaowen looked at Xu Ningning with that mix of disbelief and resignation, then turned into the warehouse, unwilling to keep tangled in the topic.

“Lin Xiaowen, why don’t you understand? I’m doing this for your own good!”

“I know.”

“Then why are you ignoring me...”

“I’m not ignoring you, I need to check the accounts, big sister...”

“I don’t care, you have to listen to me first...”

“I’m very busy!”

“It won’t take a moment... I’ll give you time off!”

“Oh my god... can’t you just let me go?”

“No way. Those who fail to plan ahead will suffer later...”

“...”

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