Chapter 3
Xu Hengzhi’s words were a bit loud, causing two or three people nearby to turn their heads.
Xu Hengzhi smiled apologetically at them, then squeezed back next to Jiang Chaochao: “It’s all your fault.”
Jiang Chaochao laughed: “Who told you to be so loud?”
“It’s because of you,” Xu Hengzhi asked: “Why are you being so agitated?”
Jiang Chaochao: “How am I agitated?”
Xu Hengzhi: “You’re not?”
Jiang Chaochao: “I’m not.”
Presumably because he wasn’t actually that agitated, the topic immediately became unimportant.
“What time is your performance the day after tomorrow?” Xu Hengzhi asked Jiang Chaochao. “Like, what time is your turn roughly?”
“Around eight,” Jiang Chaochao calculated, “around eight-thirty.” He asked Xu Hengzhi: “Aren’t you unable to come?”
Xu Hengzhi: “I can now. Didn’t Mr. Chen just say I don’t need to go tomorrow night? Weren’t you listening to us talk?”
Jiang Chaochao gave a noncommittal “uh”: “Didn’t hear.”
“Then what were you doing?” Xu Hengzhi exclaimed: “Flirting with Xiang Ye?”
Jiang Chaochao: “…What are you talking about?”
Xu Hengzhi laughed at himself: “Nothing, nothing, I’m just talking nonsense.” But soon he said again: “I saw both of you standing there.”
Jiang Chaochao: “So what?”
Xu Hengzhi: “Nothing.”
“Hey,” Xu Hengzhi suddenly made a strange noise, “Is Xiang Ye leaving?”
This time, Jiang Chaochao looked in the direction Xu Hengzhi was looking. Xiang Ye was walking towards the main entrance.
“Hey,” Xu Hengzhi made the same sound again, “Seems like he’s not leaving after all.”
This time, Jiang Chaochao became bolder, staring straight at Xiang Ye without avoiding his gaze.
Perhaps it was because the banquet hall was more crowded now, with everyone’s gazes crisscrossing and no one paying attention. Or maybe it was the distance. Or maybe it was because Xu Hengzhi was also being blatant.
So Jiang Chaochao said: “I’ve noticed you’re paying a lot of attention to him.”
Xu Hengzhi gave a playful “yo”: “Yes, yes, I’m paying attention to him.”
Jiang Chaochao stopped talking.
He shouldn’t have asked.
“This guy,” Xu Hengzhi started again, crossing his arms, referring to the person who was approaching Xiang Ye at that moment, “I suspect he likes Xiang Ye.”
Jiang Chaochao was curious: “Why?”
Xu Hengzhi still looked around to see if anyone was listening, then leaned closer to Jiang Chaochao: “He’s from the modeling agency. Before, every time Xiang Ye came over, he’d be all ‘gege’ this, ‘gege’ that.” Xu Hengzhi wasn’t entirely sure, so he asked Jiang Chaochao: “What do you think?”
Jiang Chaochao smiled: “How would I know?”
Xu Hengzhi: “Xiang Ye doesn’t really pay attention to him, though.”
Jiang Chaochao considered seriously: “He’s quite handsome.”
Xu Hengzhi: “Who’s handsome?”
Jiang Chaochao: “The model.”
Xu Hengzhi laughed: “You don’t think Xiang Ye is handsome, but you think this model is handsome?”
Jiang Chaochao: “Did I say Xiang Ye isn’t handsome?”
Xu Hengzhi: “Didn’t you?”
Jiang Chaochao: “I didn’t.”
Xu Hengzhi was momentarily speechless, doubting himself: “Really?” He then said: “The model is handsome, yes, but just normally handsome. You can find a bunch like him at the modeling agency.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Oh.”
“Then guess what happened?” Xu Hengzhi asked, then answered himself: “Xiang Ye came over one time and he was calling him ‘gege’ again, and Xiang Ye told him directly, ‘Don’t call me gege.’”
Jiang Chaochao let out an “ah.” A thought inexplicably popped into his head: You think you’re worthy of calling him gege?
The model took another step towards Xiang Ye, smiling and talking continuously.
Jiang Chaochao asked Xu Hengzhi: “Did he still call him ‘gege’ after that?”
Xu Hengzhi: “Of course not.”
Just as they were engrossed in watching, Xiang Ye suddenly turned his head.
This time, it felt different from the previous two times. It was as if it was directed at Jiang Chaochao, without any searching or pausing, directly meeting Jiang Chaochao’s gaze.
Jiang Chaochao didn’t even have time to look away, and their eyes met.
Then Jiang Chaochao heard Xu Hengzhi gasp, followed by a “Holy shit.”
Haha, caught gossiping.
Jiang Chaochao guiltily averted his gaze.
But unlike Jiang Chaochao, Xu Hengzhi openly raised his glass, smiling and making a toast in the air.
When did this guy get a drink?
Wait a minute.
“Aren’t you driving?” Jiang Chaochao said.
Xu Hengzhi: “It’s a soft drink.”
Jiang Chaochao only gave an “oh.” At this moment, he felt a sense of betrayal by Xu Hengzhi. His guilt had nowhere to go, so he glared at Xu Hengzhi.
Xu Hengzhi caught Jiang Chaochao’s anger in his peripheral vision and chuckled while drinking.
Xu Hengzhi looked back and said to Jiang Chaochao: “That guy left.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Who wants to know that?”
Xu Hengzhi: “Oh, you don’t want to know that?”
How could Jiang Chaochao not understand Xu Hengzhi? This was completely a teasing tone.
So Jiang Chaochao: “You’re crazy.”
Being cursed seemed to please Xu Hengzhi, and he laughed happily.
“Is Xiang Ye gay?” After a while, Xu Hengzhi asked again.
Jiang Chaochao: “…”
What’s wrong with straight men?
Jiang Chaochao: “How would I know?”
Xu Hengzhi: “Should I go ask him?”
Jiang Chaochao nodded: “Sure, go ahead.”
Xu Hengzhi: “Haha.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Haha.”
Xu Hengzhi again: “Haha.”
Jiang Chaochao also: “Haha.”
Xu Hengzhi narrowed his eyes: “You like him.”
Jiang Chaochao quickly responded: “Crazy.”
Xu Hengzhi was now looking quite intrigued: “So you think Xiang Ye is handsome?”
Jiang Chaochao said in a normal tone: “Yeah, he is quite handsome.”
Xu Hengzhi drew out an “Ahhh.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Is this the first time I’ve complimented a handsome guy?”
Xu Hengzhi’s smile almost reached his ears. Really, what was he laughing about? Just kept laughing.
It made Jiang Chaochao want to laugh too: “Go get yourself checked if you’re sick.”
Xu Hengzhi ignored Jiang Chaochao and took out his phone, muttering: “I remember Xiang Ye is in the project group chat, let me find it.”
Jiang Chaochao: “…”
Xu Hengzhi actually started searching.
And he actually found it very quickly.
“Here it is.” Xu Hengzhi said as he clicked into it.
Then, to Jiang Chaochao’s surprise, he clicked “Add Friend.”
“Oh.” Xu Hengzhi made a disappointed sound.
Jiang Chaochao also sighed inwardly, but it wasn’t necessarily disappointment.
But it also might have been disappointment.
Xiang Ye had disabled adding friends from group chats.
“That makes sense,” Xu Hengzhi backed out. “It’s right to turn it off, otherwise too many people would add him.”
He turned to look at Jiang Chaochao, smiling and asking: “So? Surprised?”
This time, Jiang Chaochao didn’t retort: “You are quite surprising.”
A straight man and socially adept, truly surprising.
“So?” Jiang Chaochao was curious. “What were you going to do after adding him?”
Xu Hengzhi: “Ask him if he’s gay.”
Jiang Chaochao: “….”
Jiang Chaochao: “Seriously?”
Xu Hengzhi: “No way, that’s too presumptuous.”
Jiang Chaochao: “You know what presumptuous means.”
Xu Hengzhi: “And I’m not really brave enough to talk to him.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Why?”
Xu Hengzhi: “Just…a feeling. I wouldn’t approach him unless I had to. He seems… not to be messed with.”
Jiang Chaochao raised an eyebrow.
Is that so?
He recalled Xiang Ye’s appearance. His features were indeed somewhat sharp.
But perhaps Xu Hengzhi wasn’t just talking about his appearance.
“Different from the way you’re not to be messed with.” Xu Hengzhi added.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Chaochao knew Xu Hengzhi had nothing good to say: “What do you mean? Am I not to be messed with again?”
Xu Hengzhi: “You’re the kind of 0 not to be messed with, he’s the kind of 1 not to be messed with.”
“…Just talk about him, why bring me into it.” Jiang Chaochao then added, “As if you know a lot. Don’t misuse 1 and 0.”
Xu Hengzhi laughed: “Hahaha, am I wrong?”
Jiang Chaochao: “Wrong, completely wrong.”
After their conversation, Jiang Chaochao casually glanced over there again.
Xiang Ye was no longer in that spot, but the model from earlier was still there, standing alone and drinking.
Jiang Chaochao looked around again but still couldn’t see Xiang Ye. He didn’t know if it was because there were more people now, making him harder to spot, or if he had already left.
However, they no longer had the leisure to think about Xiang Ye. The female executive pursuing Xu Hengzhi walked in.
One second, Xu Hengzhi was still teasing Jiang Chaochao, the next, seeing his boss, his smile instantly vanished.
Now it was Jiang Chaochao’s turn to laugh.
Fortunately, the banquet hall was really large, and not only large but also had many different areas.
For the remainder of the time, Xu Hengzhi led Jiang Chaochao in a game of hide-and-seek from the executive.
They didn’t leave until Xu Hengzhi had seen everyone he wanted to see and said everything he wanted to say.
Next up was the crayfish Xu Hengzhi had promised.
But while they were eating crayfish, Xu Hengzhi suddenly asked Jiang Chaochao: “What do you think of Xiang Ye?”
Jiang Chaochao focused on peeling the crayfish: “What do I think? We’re not close.”
Xu Hengzhi: “I just feel like you’re acting weird.”
Jiang Chaochao: “You’re wrong.”
Xu Hengzhi: “Fine.”
After a while, Xu Hengzhi said again: “If you have any feelings, tell me, I’m your bro.”
Jiang Chaochao laughed: “What can you even do? You can’t even add him on WeChat.”
Xu Hengzhi let out a super loud “heh”: “Getting a WeChat contact is nothing. If you really want it, I can get it for you in a bit.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Just kidding, I don’t want it.”
Xu Hengzhi: “I really can get it.”
Jiang Chaochao: “I really don’t want it.”
Xu Hengzhi: “Fine.”
Silence.
This silence was actually quite normal. The two had been friends since childhood, and this bit of silence was nothing to them.
But…
But…
Jiang Chaochao swallowed the crayfish in his mouth, casually picked up another one, casually twisted off its head, and casually said: “Besides, what if he has a girlfriend?”
Or a boyfriend.
“I don’t think so.” Unexpectedly, Xu Hengzhi immediately said this.
Jiang Chaochao: “How do you know?”
Xu Hengzhi: “A feeling.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Oh.”
Xu Hengzhi: “If he had a girlfriend, why would so many people be chasing him?”
Jiang Chaochao: “You can never tell.”
Xu Hengzhi thought about it: “That’s true too. Many people these days don’t have morals, they don’t care if you’re already taken.”
Jiang Chaochao didn’t speak.
“But,” Xu Hengzhi continued, “you can ask. It’s easy to find out, just ask anyone from his company, everyone knows.”
Jiang Chaochao: “No need, I don’t want to know.”
Xu Hengzhi: “Okay.”
Jiang Chaochao: “….”
Can’t you just find out and tell me directly? Keep asking, asking, asking.
After this topic ended, there was no more mention of Xiang Ye. Instead, Xu Hengzhi talked a lot about his female executive.
Jiang Chaochao then realized that this story was actually a bit two-sided. It’s just that their two-sidedness only involved liking each other, other things like personality, hobbies, values, and so on, weren’t very compatible.
So they talked all the way from the crayfish restaurant to the entrance of Jiang Chaochao’s complex.
“So sad, so sad.” Xu Hengzhi parked the car.
Jiang Chaochao patted Xu Hengzhi’s back: “Just think it through yourself.”
Xu Hengzhi: “I know.”
Jiang Chaochao: “Let me know when you get home.”
Xu Hengzhi: “Okay, see you tomorrow.”
Jiang Chaochao: “See you tomorrow.”
Xu Hengzhi’s story was indeed quite sad, making Jiang Chaochao’s mood very calm all the way home.
But once back in his room, he put the matter aside.
Because he remembered he had a deadline tonight.
It had been several hours since he’d last worked on the drawing. Looking at it again now, there were no problems, so Jiang Chaochao found his group chat.
Bianbian: “Xiuxiu, are you there?”
Almost instant reply.
Xiuxiu: “Yes”
Xiuxiu: “Ahhhhhhh”
Xiuxiu: “Teacher Bianbian, I’m here ahhhhhhh”
Xiuxiu: “Ahhhhhhh”
Jiang Chaochao was amused; he hadn’t even sent the drawing yet.
Might as well send it now. Jiang Chaochao uploaded the picture to the group files.
Now it wasn’t just Xiuxiu, other members popped up too, the screen filled with “Ahhhhhhh.”
Jiang Chaochao’s full ID in this group was “My Duck Isn’t This Flat.”
This name came from a joke. One day, someone accidentally ran over a duck with their car. They got out and asked a child by the roadside, “Is this your duck?” The child said, “No, my duck isn’t this flat.”
At the time, this joke really amused Jiang Chaochao. It just so happened to be the day he registered the ID, so he used it.
So now he was Teacher Bianbian.
Teacher Bianbian had been drawing for several years. Who would have thought that the skills he diligently learned as a child would be used to draw NSFW art as an adult?
Moreover, when Teacher Bianbian first debuted, he was very young and naive, thinking he was super cool, and boldly declared, “I don’t draw if it’s not NSFW.”
Thus, he now had this group and a bunch of followers who loved his NSFW art.
In the group, those online had presumably finished looking at the drawing. Xiuxiu led the praise: “I told you! Teacher Bianbian is the best!”
Xiuxiu: “Bianbian, you are my god!”
Xiuxiu: “You’re electricity, you’re light, you’re the only myth!”
Xiuxiu: “Love it so much, gasp, pant, gasp”
Then everyone else chimed in, balabalabala.
…
As for why Teacher Bianbian drew NSFW art…
That goes back to Jiang Chaochao’s third performance.
Jiang Chaochao was young at the time, but he was performing in a very large-scale production. His mentality wasn’t that good; he was nervous and even anxious before the performance.
After two performances, he came up with a solution for himself: try diverting his attention, try drawing.
Since he was drawing, he might as well draw something intense to help him focus, right?
Then, how intense is intense enough?
What should he draw to qualify as intense?
The most convenient answer was only that.
Right?
So he randomly browsed online forums requesting art, randomly picked someone whose avatar and ID he liked, registered an ID on the spot, and started drawing.
Unexpectedly, this method was very effective, extremely effective.
He wasn’t nervous or anxious, and he didn’t keep thinking about the performance. He relaxedly passed the preparation time, and the performance went smoothly.
It worked!
But now Jiang Chaochao no longer had performance anxiety. He had grown up!
However, he kept this habit.
Of course, he didn’t necessarily draw a picture for every performance now. Sometimes, when performances piled up, he would choose a free moment to draw something to relax himself and give his group members a little treat.
Jiang Chaochao’s drawings weren’t very refined, after all, he didn’t spend a lot of time on them. His drawings, in his opinion, were more about the process than the result.
But his fans didn’t think so. In their eyes, Teacher Bianbian was very good at capturing the key points, understanding the characters, respecting the original work, having a serious attitude, and, most importantly, he was free, free!
They loved him even more, love plus love.
Since he had a performance the day after tomorrow, Jiang Chaochao just drew a little something today.
The group chat went on for several pages, several minutes, full of praise, before finally calming down.
Everyone started talking about other things.
Xiuxiu took the lead and asked: “Teacher Bianbian, are you still drawing?”
Bianbian: “No, I went out for the night and just got back.”
Xiuxiu: “Yay!”
Bianbian: “Yay!”
Everyone, inexplicably, started: “Yay!” “Yay!”
Xiuxiu: “Teacher Bianbian hasn’t been online much, what have you been up to lately?”
Jiang Chaochao had been on vacation recently, so he rarely went online.
But somehow, when Xiuxiu asked this question, a figure immediately appeared in Jiang Chaochao’s mind.
Jiang Chaochao mentally cursed himself for being crazy.
He first replied: “I’ve been good lately.”
Then, as if his brain had thought about it, and yet hadn’t thought about it, his hands typed out a sentence.
“Let me ask you a question, have you ever experienced love at first sight?”
