The rain began to fall in Cloud City just as Jin Yan’s plane touched down.
After a three-hour flight, it was already past ten in the evening by the time he arrived.
Zhu Lili had been easy to bribe today; a single pair of earrings was all it took for her to leak Zhou Shu’s itinerary to Jin Yan.
The cast and crew of *Rouge Drunk* were having a dinner gathering at a private restaurant tonight.
Unaware of this, Zhou Shu was currently staring blankly at the raindrops on the window. Whenever it rained, he couldn't help but think of that person, wondering what he was doing at that moment.
Zhou Shu unlocked his phone, only to find he hadn't received a single message from a certain someone all day. Frowning, he locked the screen again and placed the phone face-down on the table.
The sound of the phone hitting the table was sharp, even cutting through the sound of the rain. Those sitting near Zhou Shu noticed and didn't quite dare to speak up.
One of the bolder ones spoke up to comfort him. "Oh, Brother Shu, don't be angry. Did you see the hot search again? It’s not worth getting upset over those people online."
Hot search? What hot search?
Zhou Shu was completely bewildered, but on the surface, he remained calm and composed. He gave the person a faint smile and took a sip of his drink.
"Seriously, those people are too much. Brother Shu is clearly the victim here. What’s wrong with sending someone to the police station? How can they even criticize that?"
"Exactly. What else was he supposed to do? Just take it and let them attack him whenever they want? Anti-fans are terrifying."
"Sigh, yeah, truly terrifying..."
At that moment, someone noticed Duan Xingyi’s expression wasn't great, so they shifted the topic. "Wait, Xiao Duan, we didn't mean to target your fans, but that one really was a bit scary."
Duan Xingyi shook his head with a smile. "No, you’re right. Even if they truly like me, they absolutely cannot do something like that. I can't handle that kind of pathological possessiveness, and it hurt an innocent person."
As he finished speaking, his gaze drifted toward the window, lingering on Zhou Shu’s profile.
This man truly didn't seem to care.
Duan Xingyi leaned in slightly and nudged Zhou Shu’s arm. "Zhou Shu, let me see your injury."
Zhou Shu pulled his gaze back from the window and lifted his arm dismissively. "It’s fine. The swelling is all gone."
Finally, someone noticed the chain on Zhou Shu’s wrist and asked curiously, "Eh? Brother Shu, what exactly is that? It doesn't look like a normal bracelet."
"Wait... Brother Shu, where’s that watch of yours that costs as much as a car? I’ve never seen you take it off, even during the drama promotions."
"Wow, anything that can make Brother Shu take off his watch must be extraordinary!"
Zhou Shu looked down at his wrist, his expression softening with a rare gentleness. "Mhm. A gift from family. It’s been with me for over ten years." After saying that, he tucked the chain into his sleeve, offering no further explanation.
Outside, the rain grew heavier, punctuated by a few warning rumbles of thunder. The people in the private room began to worry.
"I don't know when this rain will stop. I have a flight early tomorrow morning."
"At this rate, flights might end up being canceled."
"Don't even mention it. I have to rush to Lincheng after dinner. If there’s lightning and thunder, I might really be stuck."
"Sigh, you should just cancel. Safety first."
"Yeah, yeah, better to stay the night and leave once the rain lets up."
Duan Xingyi didn't join the discussion. He turned his head to see Zhou Shu, who was still staring blankly at his phone, and tapped the table near his hand. "What are you thinking about? You barely ate a few bites all night."
"Hmm?" Zhou Shu snapped back to reality, only then realizing he had spent the entire evening waiting for his screen to light up. Yet every time it did, it wasn't the message he was waiting for, so he would dim the screen again.
He realized how deliberate his behavior was and cleared his throat awkwardly. "I’m not very hungry." He opened another bottle of beer, but the next second, it was gently taken from his hand.
"Stop drinking. You’ve done nothing but drink all night."
For a tenth of a second, Zhou Shu felt a flash of annoyance. He didn't show it, so no one noticed, but it only fueled the others' desire to tease them.
"You two—the 'Rouge CP'—are you still working even after the cameras stop? That’s too dedicated!"
"Oh my, has our Emperor not stepped out of character yet? Being so concerned for our Brother Shu."
"Exactly. Chu Xun isn't like Brother Shu; there’s no Pear Garden actor as 'Alpha' as him, hahaha..."
"Speaking of which, our Brother Shu is truly amazing. He’s clearly so 'Alpha,' yet he plays the role softer than an Omega."
"Seriously, seeing Brother Shu makes me willing to try an Alpha-Alpha relationship."
"Wake up, will you? With our 'Emperor' right here, would it ever be your turn?"
"Hahaha... true. I’ll drink to this CP first!"
Everyone chimed in one after another, chatting nonsense and laughing together.
Duan Xingyi laughed along graciously and stepped in to smooth things over. "Don't talk nonsense. Zhou Shu was dragged into trouble because of me today. If I didn't show some concern, I’d hardly be human."
Everyone laughed at that, and the topic shifted back to today's "airport incident."
Zhou Shu didn't participate in any of the topics. He was actually somewhat annoyed by Duan Xingyi’s interference; even if it was out of concern, he didn't like it.
As for the "CP shipping," he hadn't cared before—but that was only until last night.
Since last night, he had been deliberately avoiding these topics. Whether in front of the camera or behind the scenes, he didn't really want to have any interaction with Duan Xingyi.
But seeing Duan Xingyi resolve the awkwardness with just a few words now, he couldn't help but admire the man's emotional intelligence.
No wonder Zhou Duo liked him so much.
The dinner finally ended. The rain showed no signs of letting up, and everyone began pulling out their phones to contact their assistants.
Zhou Shu also gave Zhu Lili a call, then stepped outside to stand under the eaves, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
The tobacco had absorbed the dampness of the air, feeling a bit like dead wood meeting spring.
He tried to light it several times without success. The irritability in his heart was reaching a breaking point, but the next second, someone held out a windproof lighter from the side.
Zhou Shu looked up; it was Duan Xingyi. Seeing him holding the flame without intending to let go, Zhou Shu had no choice but to lean in with the cigarette in his mouth. "Mm, thanks."
"Is someone coming to pick you up?" Duan Xingyi also lit a cigarette, standing beside Zhou Shu. He took a drag and exhaled a cloud of white smoke.
"Mhm." Proximity always amplified awkwardness. Zhou Shu didn't want to dwell in that atmosphere, so he asked casually, "And you?"
After asking, he realized they were both talking nonsense.
A cast dinner in a torrential downpour—what assistant would be crazy enough to leave their boss stranded outside alone?
"My assistant is stuck in traffic. There was an accident up ahead. It’ll probably be a while."
"I see..." Zhou Shu was a bit at a loss for words. He didn't know how to respond, nor did he particularly want to. At that moment, more people came out from inside, neutralizing the chill in the outdoor air.
Some got straight into cars, while others stood at the door taking selfies. Duan Xingyi was called over to join them, but Zhou Shu just waved them off.
It had been so long; why wasn't Zhu Lili here yet? She couldn't have gone off to some hotel on her own, could she?
Zhou Shu tapped his phone, which still had no new messages, feeling increasingly restless.
Just as he dialed the number again, intending to snap at her, Zhu Lili beat him to it. "Don't yell. Two minutes. I brought you a gift."
"..." Zhou Shu ended the call with a silent pause. He had to admit, perhaps because he heard the word "gift," his mood actually improved a bit.
Two minutes later, a nanny van pulled up in front of the restaurant, drawing everyone's attention for a few seconds. Zhou Shu was just about to say goodbye to his colleagues when he saw the rear door being slid open from the inside.
*If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way; the fake CP still needs to be maintained,* he thought. Zhu Lili was actually quite clever.
However, in the next second, a cold, crisp aura completely overturned his theory, leaving him stunned where he stood.
The person stepping out of the car with an umbrella wasn't his rumored girlfriend at all, but the very person he had been waiting for a message from all day.
When did he come to Cloud City?
It was so late and raining so hard—how did he get here?
He hadn't sent a single message all day; was he just saving up for this big move?
And what did he do today? He was dressed so well, and he was even wearing glasses...
In the few short seconds it took for Jin Yan to get out of the car and walk up to him, countless reactions flashed through Zhou Shu’s mind.
Overall, surprise took up the lion's share, to the point that a sparkle appeared in his eyes that he didn't even notice himself.
Before Jin Yan could catch it, Duan Xingyi, standing to the side, froze for a few seconds.
He had seen that look on Zhou Shu’s face before when they were acting together, but only in front of the lens.
In the drama, he had held an umbrella for him in the snow and painted his eyebrows.
For a few moments, Duan Xingyi had even believed that he and Zhou Shu were a real pair of lovers.
But once the crew finished for the day and the costumes were removed, he could never catch even a trace of "Chu Xun" from Zhou Shu again.
Zhou Shu stepped out of character too quickly, making Duan feel like a fool lost in the script’s story.
He gave a bitter laugh in his heart, urging himself to wake up, yet he couldn't help but take a few more looks at the man holding the umbrella.
This man’s height... he must be 1.9 meters tall. He was actually a bit taller than Duan himself.
He wore a deep grey suit, his shirt buttoned meticulously to the very top, paired with gold-rimmed glasses.
No matter how you looked at it, his appearance seemed refined and harmless, yet why did he seem shrouded in an inviolable chill?
It wasn't exactly aggressive, and there was no scent of pheromones leaking out, but it was enough to make one suddenly shiver.
From the moment he stepped out of the car, Jin Yan had been expressionless. If not for the gentleness of his movements, one might have thought he was coming over to pick a fight with Zhou Shu.
He walked up to Zhou Shu with the umbrella. Seeing the look of utter disbelief on the other man's face, he couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
As expected, no matter the situation or the mood, as long as he saw Zhou Shu, all negative emotions could be cast aside.
"What’s wrong, Ge? Are you dazed?"
"You..." Zhou Shu’s lips moved a few times before he stammered, "You, why are you here?"
"Don't want to see me?" Jin Yan’s eyes crinkled slightly. A raindrop broke through the defenses and landed on Zhou Shu’s clothes; Jin Yan naturally reached out and brushed it away for him.
"Speak properly." Zhou Shu frowned, his tone feigning toughness as he turned his face away.
Fearing the other was truly unhappy, Jin Yan reached out and gently tugged the chain on Zhou Shu’s wrist through his sleeve, his voice softening to coax him. "Ge, don't be angry. I traveled across half the country just to see you today, and I even got caught in the rain after getting off the plane."
Zhou Shu’s expression grew tense. He immediately looked the man up and down and noticed that his clothes did indeed seem a bit damp.
"Fine." Zhou Shu didn't pull his hand away from Jin Yan’s grasp. He looked toward the van. "Get in the car first. We’ll talk about everything back at the hotel."
Hearing this, Jin Yan felt a surge of joy in his heart, and even the rain seemed to lighten.
Zhou Shu reached up to grip the umbrella handle as well, guiding the direction. He waved to the side and said, "My younger brother is here. We’re leaving first."
The crowd of onlookers finally breathed a sigh of relief.
So it was his younger brother.
At that moment, some female voices in the crowd became particularly prominent.
"Is that his biological brother? If so, that’s insane. What kind of genes does this family have?"
"No, Brother Shu is an only child. But is that brother really not in the industry? His aura is way too strong."
"He looks like a top-tier Alpha. My legs felt a bit weak just now."
"I suddenly want to ask Brother Shu for his contact info..."
The scattered discussions drifted into Zhou Shu’s ears along with the sound of the rain. He suddenly felt a headache coming on, and his brow furrowed.
And just then, Jin Yan’s hand holding the umbrella faltered for a moment. A stray raindrop took advantage of the opening and landed on the tip of his nose.
*Younger brother...*
He seemed to be growing more and more dissatisfied with that title.
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 胭脂醉 | Rouge Drunk | The title of the drama Zhou Shu is filming. |
| 云城 | Cloud City | The setting of the current chapter. |
| 段星移 | Duan Xingyi | Zhou Shu's co-star and the "Emperor" in the drama. |
| 楚洵 | Chu Xun | The name of the character Zhou Shu plays in the drama. |
| 梨园 | Pear Garden | A traditional term referring to the world of Chinese opera. |
| Alpha/Omega | Alpha/Omega | Terms from the ABO (Alpha/Beta/Omega) subgenre, used here to describe personality/aura. |
| 临城 | Lincheng | A neighboring city mentioned by a cast member. |
| 哥 | Ge | "Older brother," used by Jin Yan for Zhou Shu. |
| 弟弟 | Didi / Younger brother | "Younger brother," used by Zhou Shu to introduce Jin Yan. |
