The two of them stared at each other in stunned silence. Very quickly, they realized what was happening.
They had no time to wonder who had tipped off the media or why the paparazzi were there. With a frantic cry of "Crap, run!", the two of them bolted.
Their strides were perfectly in sync.
In the dim night, only the streetlights provided illumination. Zhang Jin’an and Jiang Siyang ran in a desperate rush, past benches, past fountains, and through the woods. They were about to reach the main road, and the relationship they had hidden for so long was on the verge of being fully exposed to the world. Being chased by paparazzi was never a good thing—it was, in fact, incredibly aggravating—yet for some reason, Zhang Jin’an began to laugh. He felt exhilarated, tense, and deeply moved.
The wind whistled past their ears and through the gaps of their interlaced fingers, yet it failed to pry their hands apart.
They knew deep down that running was futile; they had already been caught red-handed. And yet, they still wanted to run.
*What a beautiful sight,* Zhang Jin’an thought absently. *Why didn't I notice such beautiful scenery before?*
He beamed at Jiang Siyang and shouted, "Siyang!"
"Yeah!?" the other replied.
"Do you think we'll be in the news tomorrow?"
Jiang Siyang understood exactly what Zhang Jin’an meant. He nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, definitely!"
"Does this count as going public? Even if it’s not how I imagined it," Zhang Jin’an said. "Let’s just take this opportunity then."
"What?"
Zhang Jin’an stopped running, and Jiang Siyang came to a halt as well.
"Siyang, let them be our witnesses. Let them prove that I wasn't lying," Zhang Jin’an said with a smile. The flashes from the reporters' cameras seemed to serve as his personal spotlights.
Everything moved in slow motion in Jiang Siyang’s eyes.
"I am so deeply in love with you."
That was all he heard Zhang Jin’an say.
He loved him just as much. Zhang Jin’an was his youth, his aspiration, and his longing. A sparse, lonely rain began to fall quietly, soaking every inch of the earth. The dark night hid the clouds, but the features of the person standing before him remained crystal clear.
Raindrops fell onto the ground between them.
"Okay," Jiang Siyang nodded.
Let everything be revealed before the lenses; there was nothing left to hide. Just like this rain, it fell silently, yet it made its presence known to everyone.
The next day, the topic that occupied the number one spot on the trending searches for ten hours was #Zhang Jin’an and Jiang Siyang Go Public#.
***
Zhang Jin’an finished reading the last word before finally exiting the image with a satisfied sigh. He hadn't moved for a while, and the moment he did, he realized his shoulders had gone stiff from hunching over for too long. He did some stretching exercises, and his joints let out a series of satisfying "cracks" and "pops," easing the dull ache.
Since there was still some time before filming began, Zhang Jin’an spent a while browsing Tuanyuan’s Weibo. He hadn't expected that after just one week of not checking, Tuanyuan would have written so much; the latest chapter even reached the point where he and "Jiang Siyang" went public.
Ever since he had actually started dating Jiang Siyang, he found himself incredibly envious of the "Zhang Jin’an" in the stories.
It was a classic case of being jealous of his own fictional self.
The progress between the "Zhang Jin’an" and "Jiang Siyang" in the story was much faster than theirs; they had already come out to their friends and family, and everything had gone perfectly smooth.
Looking at reality, however, they still had a mountain of matters to handle and a myriad of things to consider.
"As expected, Tuanyuan’s writing is much more satisfying to read. They love when they should love, they snap when they should snap—no dragging their feet," Zhang Jin’an leaned back. Slumping halfway into his seat finally made him feel more comfortable. He picked up his phone again to scroll through the comments and began to mutter to himself, "This 'Chenshang'... I'm guessing it comes from the idiom *shenxiao chenshang*."
He wasn't wrong.
Someone in the comments had asked about the origin of the username "Chenshang," and Tuanyuan had replied that it indeed came from *shenxiao chenshang*.
*Shenxiao chenshang*—a derogatory term, mostly used to describe a situation where unpleasant rumors are known to everyone, causing a massive stir and becoming the talk of the town.
It seemed the "Zhang Jin’an" in the story also faced difficulties regarding "false narratives."
Zhang Jin’an put his phone down and scanned his surroundings. Everything in the studio was prepared, just waiting for Tang Shang’s command. Seeing an opportunity, Zhang Jin’an called out to a staff member passing in front of him.
"What is it, Brother Zhang?" The staff member wasn't very old, likely in his early twenties.
Zhang Jin’an stood up and looked him over.
This staff member looked familiar; he was in charge of props. At noon, he was usually seen squatting by the prop truck to eat his lunch.
Zhang Jin’an searched his memory and remembered someone calling this man’s name. His surname seemed to be Qiu.
Not entirely certain, Zhang Jin’an asked, "Brother, your surname is Qiu, right?"
The young man was overjoyed and nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, that's right! My name is Qiu Zhengye. I didn't expect Brother Zhang to actually know my name?"
Zhang Jin’an felt relieved and said casually, "Hey, what's there to be surprised about? We're almost at the wrap-up. If I still didn't know your names, wouldn't I be letting down all of you who worked so hard on the props these past few months?"
Xiao Qiu shook his head repeatedly. "No, no, no, there's nothing to feel bad about. I've been with other crews before, and the actors are so busy worrying about their lines that they never bother to learn what us workers are called."
Zhang Jin’an smiled.
Xiao Qiu lowered his head and couldn't help but chuckle. "I really made the right choice coming to this crew. My surname was remembered by two actors, and one of them is Zhang Jin’an. I should go buy a lottery ticket."
Zhang Jin’an caught the keyword and asked curiously, "Two? Who was the other one?"
"Jiang Siyang, of course," Xiao Qiu said bluntly.
Hearing that familiar name, Zhang Jin’an’s heart gave a little flutter.
But thinking about it carefully, it was exactly the kind of thing Jiang Siyang would do. Those people online who claimed Jiang Siyang only bought things for the staff to build a "persona" should come and see for themselves—who builds a persona to the extent of knowing every single person's name?
