Chapter 21 – Crybaby Yin Gets Angry

Wei Lai raised his eyebrows slightly, flashing a scheming smile that screamed “this queen is the most beautiful in the world.”

Chu Yin was momentarily stunned. Some beautiful people lose their charm when they smile—they either look silly or end up resembling memes. But Wei Lai wasn’t like that. When he smiled, his snow-white, perfectly aligned teeth gleamed, with no double chin or wrinkles in sight. It was like the first warm rays of spring, a sight for sore eyes.

Chu Yin thought to himself, If Wei Lai had entered the entertainment industry back then, with his looks and his cunning ways, he’d definitely be a huge star by now. He might’ve even become my rival. A sour feeling rose in Chu Yin’s chest—he wasn’t sure if it was regret for Wei Lai or jealousy toward Yao Chaowu.

Wei Lai asked, “Why are you staring at me?”

Chu Yin: “…What shade is your lipstick?”

Wei Lai: “I’m not wearing any. Naturally rosy lips and pearly teeth.”

Chu Yin: “Oh.”

After only three or four bites, Chu Yin had already polished off his bowl of noodles. His appetite thoroughly whetted, he pouted, “I want another bowl.”

Wei Lai cleared the dishes and said, “There isn’t any left.”

Chu Yin pursed his lips. “But… I’m still hungry.”

At this moment, the off-camera directors were screaming internally: Let him eat! Let him eat until he’s full!!!

Wei Lai picked up the ginger tea and shoved it into Chu Yin’s hands, sternly saying, “Then drink more water.”

Chu Yin: “whiiine.”

Though he whined, Chu Yin obediently sipped the tea. He felt that Wei Lai cooking for him was already a kindness. Asking for more when he wasn’t full felt too shameless.

Chu Yin yawned. “…I’m sleepy.”

Wei Lai said, “Pull yourself together. You’re filming a variety show!”

Chu Yin rolled around on the sofa bed, stretching his long legs out fully. His entire body sprawled across the couch as he lazily stretched under the warm sunlight, his five toes splaying like petals. He murmured lazily, “The director said they want to capture my real life. At home, I just eat, sleep, sleep, and eat.”

Wei Lai chuckled. “Wow, aren’t you just living the dream?”

After terminating his contract with Chen Meixian, Chu Yin had let himself go, thinking that since he’d retire from the industry in half a year anyway, he might as well ditch the idol persona and do whatever he pleased.

Chu Yin turned his back to Wei Lai. “I don’t wanna go out. The outside world is terrifying.”

Wei Lai: “…”

Wei Lai realized that Chu Yin was very different from Yao Chaowu. Yao Chaowu was ambitious and never needed Wei Lai to worry about exposure or show ratings—instead, he constantly hounded Wei Lai for resources. Chu Yin, on the other hand, was a complete homebody with zero competitive drive. Whether he was a megastar or a has-been, he could languish at home in perfect tranquility.

Wei Lai said, “If we keep up this geriatric pace, our segment might only get ten minutes of airtime after the show airs.”

Chu Yin thought for a moment. “True. The TV station did pay me. For the money, I should probably get moving.”

With that, Chu Yin turned on the TV, stood in front of it, and—with his cast-bound arm—slowly lifted a dumbbell with his left hand.

Wei Lai: “???”

Chu Yin said, “I’ve been too busy trending on Weibo. Haven’t even watched the show yet. Help me find My Idol at Home. I wanna see what the other teams are up to.”

The first episode of My Idol at Home featured three guests: two top idols, Yao Chaowu and Chu Yin, and a third named Qian Tianyi. Qian Tianyi wasn’t a frequent presence in the spotlight, focusing mainly on theater and films. He was a critically acclaimed young actor, but Chu Yin wasn’t familiar with him at all.

Wei Lai said, “Uh… maybe sit down to watch? Don’t lift a 20kg dumbbell while you’re at it.”

Chu Yin was puzzled. “Why? Isn’t working out while watching TV the whole point?”

Wei Lai: “…”

Soon, Chu Yin understood why.

The show opened with private interviews of each celebrity and their manager.

Yao Chaowu faced the camera, his eyes brimming with emotion: “Without Wei Lai, there would be no me today. Over the years, my schedule’s gotten busier—constantly jet-setting around the world, day and night. Wei Lai’s health isn’t great, and it’s been tough on him. When he brought up terminating the contract, I was really reluctant, but I was happy for him too. He finally gets a proper break. Honestly, not much has changed. Wei Lai and I are still the best of brothers. We see each other less, but our bond is as strong as ever.”

Wei Lai thought, Well, I did terminate the contract first, but hearing him say it like this feels… weird.

“Teacher Chen seems like a very strict manager,” Yao Chaowu said with a smile. “When the company first arranged this, I actually refused. It was terrifying—like sneaking out to an internet café only to find the principal standing right behind you.”

Chu Yin stiffened. “Which Teacher Chen?”

As if answering his question, the show abruptly cut to Chen Meixian’s dead-serious face filling the screen.

Chu Yin’s pupils contracted in shock. He took a step back, nearly dropping the dumbbell.

Chu Yin had known Yao Chaowu would be on the show, but he never expected Chen Meixian to appear!

He whipped his head around to glare at Wei Lai. “You knew? And you didn’t tell me?!”

Wei Lai gestured for him to calm down. “I only found out when I watched the show. Your hand’s fractured—I didn’t want to upset you. Chill.”

Chu Yin took a deep breath and sat on the sofa, his eyes locked onto the screen.

“Anything you’d like to vent about your artist?”

Chen Meixian adjusted his black-framed glasses. “We’re not that familiar yet. But if I had to pick something… he eats too much.”

Host: “Oh?”

Chen Meixian shrugged. “He ordered takeout three times in one night. I thought he’d gotten some for me, but he reluctantly gave me just one chicken drumstick.”

The host laughed. “Haha, definitely still not close!”

The barrage of comments below was a chaotic mix—some thirsting over Chen Meixian’s looks, some shipping them as a CP, and others hating on Chen Meixian for seeming shady.

Then came Chu Yin’s segment, and the comments shifted entirely, flooding the screen with his name.

“First impression of your manager?”

Chu Yin’s expression turned complicated. After a pause, he said, “…Pretty handsome.”

Wei Lai burst into laughter on the sofa: “Oh ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!”

The host continued, “Anything you’d like to vent about?”

Chu Yin fell into an even longer silence. Clearly, he had a lot to say about Wei Lai—but none of it was broadcast-friendly. Finally, he said with a conflicted look, “He might be just as good-looking as me. It’s… stressful.”

The scene switched to Wei Lai, who had deliberately dressed down that day but still radiated undeniable handsomeness.

“First impression?” Wei Lai smiled. “A drunk, silly big cat.”

“He’s a walking meme. The whole country’s been fooled by his face!”

Chu Yin lightly kicked Wei Lai. “You were talking shit about me behind my back!”

Wei Lai gently kicked Chu Yin’s leg. “Just stating facts. Don’t get all prickly.”

Chu Yin huffed and retracted his leg, forcing himself to watch Chen Meixian and Yao Chaowu’s interactions despite his discomfort.

Yao Chaowu was clearly giving it his all—most of the footage showed him working. Chu Yin watched disinterestedly. While the behind-the-scenes lives of celebrities fascinated audiences, this was just Chu Yin’s everyday routine. His gaze kept drifting subtly toward Wei Lai.

Wei Lai frowned as he watched Chen Meixian wake Yao Chaowu up, drive him to set, patiently rehearse lines with him, and take care of his daily needs—all while diligently maintaining a tough-love persona. A chill ran down Wei Lai’s spine.

Wei Lai truly hadn’t known Chen Meixian would become Yao Chaowu’s manager. He had resolved never to contact Yao Chaowu again, to slowly forget him. But he couldn’t just stand by and watch Yao Chaowu walk into a trap.

Chu Yin’s heart sank. He paced around the room, frantically lifting the dumbbell. He swung it too fast, his arm gradually losing strength until the dumbbell crashed onto the tiles, spiderweb cracks spreading across the floor.

Wei Lai startled and turned to see Chu Yin bolting into the bathroom.

Luckily, Chu Yin’s bathroom door didn’t lock. Wei Lai slipped inside. “Chu Yin?”

Chu Yin sat on the toilet lid, head bowed. Wei Lai noticed his left hand trembling.

Wei Lai grabbed his left hand and massaged it. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you earlier that Chen Meixian was on the show too.”

Chu Yin yanked his hand back, sniffled, and muttered thickly through his stuffy nose, “Don’t fucking touch me!”