Chapter 5 – Yin Yin Ying Ying

Instant chaos erupted. By the time Wei Lai managed to swallow the pearl lodged in his throat, everything had already settled.

Yao Chaowu rolled off Chu Yin’s body, clutching his waist as he stood up, putting on the face of an injured actor bravely pushing through the pain. Gritting his teeth, he apologized, “Sorry, the wire tilted suddenly and dragged Chu Yin down with me.”

Yao Chaowu helped Chu Yin up, brushing the fallen leaves off his legs, and asked with concern, “Xiao Yin, are you okay? I’m really sorry… Let me check if you scraped yourself anywhere.”

“Don’t touch me. How fake can you get?” Chu Yin pushed Yao Chaowu away, glanced at Wei Lai, then turned and strode off, sleeves fluttering. “I need a break. Film the others first—don’t bother me unless it’s important.”

The atmosphere instantly turned awkward. Only after Chu Yin had walked far enough away did Wei Lai catch the murmurs of gossip.

“He’s so full of himself. Must be nice having investors backing you. Just a little inflated popularity and he thinks he’s some superstar.”

“He’s the living embodiment of coasting by on looks.”

“Not to mention his team’s marketing—every little thing ends up trending.”

“…Am I the only one who thinks his pissed-off face is kind of hot?” someone timidly said.

And so on, the whispers continued. Wei Lai thought for a moment, then asked the director, “Where’s Chu Yin’s dressing room?”

Yao Chaowu pulled him aside and whispered, “Don’t go pretending to console him—he’s just got that shitty temper. When you get back, draft a press release. Do whatever you want, but don’t forget to throw in some shade about Chu Yin’s diva behavior.”

Wei Lai: “…The PR department isn’t under me anymore.”

Yao Chaowu: “You were serious about terminating the contract last time?”

Wei Lai: “…Yeah, I was.”

Yao Chaowu froze for a moment before his voice dropped slightly hoarse. “Is it because I’m getting married soon?”

Wei Lai struggled to keep his expression neutral and smiled. “No, I’m just tired and need a break.”

Yao Chaowu looked at him seriously. “Wei Lai, you need to understand—even if I get married, you’ll still be the most important person to me.”

Yao Chaowu was always like this: wearing the face of a straight man while spouting ambiguous words. Whenever Wei Lai wanted to give up, Yao Chaowu would tease him like the aroma of hotpot, making him wonder—could it be that Yao Chaowu liked him, even just a little? Maybe if he gave more, Yao Chaowu would like him even more.

Like a gambler who had already lost everything, yet still refused to believe his luck was bad—holding onto the hope that the next round would turn things around.

Wei Lai was afraid he might lose his composure in front of Yao Chaowu, so he quickly found an excuse and slipped away.

Carrying the milk tea, he wandered around until he finally spotted Chu Yin’s van in a corner.

The air conditioning was on inside the van, meaning someone was there. The windows were tinted with one-way film, making it impossible to see inside from the outside. Wei Lai knocked on the window.

“Open up. I know you’re in there.”

Chu Yin: “…”

Chu Yin didn’t want to open the door. Wei Lai was Yao Chaowu’s manager—he was either here to settle scores or to lecture him about getting along with Yao Chaowu. Either way, Chu Yin didn’t want to hear it.

Madam Wei, a seasoned pimp, had endless patience. At this moment, he was possessed by the spirit of Auntie Xue¹A character from the Chinese TV drama Romance in the Rain. Her furious door-pounding scene—shouting “Open up. I know you’re in there!” became an internet meme. and kept knocking relentlessly on the window.

Tap tap tap, tap tap. Tap tap, tap tap. Tap tap! Tap tap! Tap tap tap, tap tap, tap tap tap!

The knocking actually had a rhythm—light and heavy, fast and slow. At first, Chu Yin, with his exceptional musician’s ear, didn’t catch it. But after a while, he realized Wei Lai was knocking out: Little bunny, be good, open the door. No, no, I won’t open, Mommy’s not home yet.²Lyrics from a Chinese children’s song called “Little Bunny”.

Chu Yin: “…This must be mocking me!”

Wei Lai knocked for several minutes before the window slowly rolled down, revealing just a tiny crack. Though it was only a sliver, Wei Lai inexplicably felt that this crack was oozing with arrogance.

From the crack came Chu Yin’s muffled voice: “Fuck off.”

Wei Lai chuckled. “Open the door.”

“Fuck off.”

“Open the door~”

Chu Yin huffed. “Say whatever you have to say from out there.”

Wei Lai suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs: “Your cold and aloof male god Chu Yin is my darling little sister!!!”

The van door slid open with a ‘whoosh.’ Chu Yin poked half his face out, pointing at Wei Lai with trembling orchid fingers. “Get the fuck in here, you goddamn psycho!”

Wei Lai took a running start and leaped into the van. Before he could steady himself, he met Chu Yin’s eyes—red, as if he’d just been crying.

Chu Yin turned his face away, his voice hoarse. “I wasn’t crying.”

Somehow, an adult’s tears are something deeply private, like a cat’s belly—not something you casually show to others.

Wei Lai felt awkward. “…Oh.”

Chu Yin said, “Why did you run off last time? When I went to check out, the cleaning lady thought I’d wet the bed!”

Wei Lai was still pissed about that. “If I hadn’t run, you would’ve crushed me to death. You sleep with your legs all over people! We agreed not to touch each other before bed—don’t you know how awful your sleeping habits are?”

“No, I don’t,” Chu Yin wiped his eyes. “No one’s ever slept with me before.”

Wei Lai said offhandedly, “What about your mom? Are you so universally loathed that even as a kid no one wanted to sleep with you?”

Chu Yin had never met his birth parents. He was adopted when he was 13, and by middle school, he was already living in a dorm, never having had the chance to bond with family. Even after getting together with Chen Meixian, he didn’t have many memories of sleeping together—just pain, lying face down on the bed, hurting too much to sleep all night.

Wei Lai had unknowingly stomped all over Chu Yin’s emotional landmines, completely oblivious. “Why were you crying just now? Did you hurt yourself falling somewhere?”

Chu Yin fell silent for a moment before suddenly roaring, “Are you my fucking mom?! None of your business, asking this and that—no, no, nothing happened!”

Wei Lai was blasted head-on by this outburst and found it baffling. He rolled his eyes silently, suppressing his anger. “Fine, I’ll leave then.”

The van door was a bit tricky to open. As Wei Lai tugged at it, an inexplicable impulse made him glance back.

Chu Yin, this crybaby, a 188cm-tall male model with long limbs, had somehow curled his entire body under a blanket. His eyes were brimming with tears, the irises crystal-clear as he glared at Wei Lai.

Wei Lai awkwardly raised the milk tea in his hand. “Xu Xiaobao’s Special Lemon Green Tea. Want some?”

Chu Yin turned his face away. A tear as big as a bean rolled down as he mumbled pitifully, “…Yeah.”

Just as Wei Lai was about to step forward, Chu Yin suddenly burrowed deeper into the blanket, his voice muffled. “I wasn’t targeting your Yao Chaowu. He kicked me first on purpose. If you don’t believe me, then don’t give me the tea.”

Wei Lai hadn’t expected this twist. Without confirming whether he believed it or not, he first pulled Chu Yin’s head out from under the blanket and asked, “Where did he kick you?”

Chu Yin pointed at his face and said, “See for yourself!”

Chu Yin’s foundation was applied quite thickly, and at first glance, Wei Lai only noticed how strikingly beautiful the contours of his face were. Upon closer inspection, he realized there seemed to be some swelling on his cheekbone.

Wei Lai: “This?”

Chu Yin pursed his lips. “Your precious Yao Chaowu deliberately kicked me in the face and even dragged me down from the rooftop. Don’t expect me to forgive him.”

Wei Lai: “…Maybe it was an accidental bump. Calm down.”

To Chu Yin, those words sounded like yet another instance of disbelief. Unable to hold back any longer, he glared at Wei Lai with tears in his eyes and exploded: “I said he did it on purpose, so he did it on purpose! You’re his manager, of course you’d take his side. Why did you even come to see me? Why do you care about me, Madam Wei? Go back and slander me! I am a diva, and I do hate your Yao Chaowu!!! Where was all that fake-ass acting when we were filming?! Walk out of this car, and I’ll pretend I never slept with you—get out!!! OUT!!!!!”

Wei Lai was infinitely grateful they were inside the car. Otherwise, with Chu Yin’s operatic vocal range, he might as well have summoned the entire Thanos crew. Unlike Chu Yin, years of hustling had molded Wei Lai into an emotionally stable adult madam, with a patience so saintly it defied the heavens and mediation skills smoother than butter.

“Here!” Wei Lai shoved the “Special Lemon Green Tea” into Chu Yin’s hands. “I believe you!”

Chu Yin: “…”

Chu Yin’s outburst came to an abrupt halt. His face betrayed a flicker of bewilderment, like a child placated by a toy. Clutching the cold cup, he glanced awkwardly at Wei Lai through tear-filled eyes.

Wei Lai: “…Drink.”

Chu Yin was genuinely thirsty. He lowered his head to sip the tea, occasionally sniffling.

Wei Lai couldn’t help but laugh inwardly, suspecting that Chu Yin’s ease at being coaxed might stem from a lack of intelligence. Later, as their relationship deepened, he would learn that almost no one had ever bothered to coax Chu Yin before—hence why, despite being a crybaby who ignited at the slightest spark, he could be pacified just as quickly.

Chu Yin stopped halfway through and said, “It’s sweet. I’ll get fat.”

“Then don’t drink it.” Wei Lai reached out. “I’ll pour you some water instead.”

However, their coordination was nonexistent. The moment Chu Yin loosened his grip, Wei Lai hadn’t tightened his fingers enough, and the iced tea plummeted straight onto Chu Yin’s crotch.

The “Special Lemon Green Tea” was mostly ice cubes. The instant it landed between Chu Yin’s legs, the chill shot straight from his dick to the crown of his head, freezing him so thoroughly that he immediately leaped up with a yelp and toppled sideways.

Chu Yin frantically tried to pull his pants down, and Wei Lai hurriedly moved to help. Just as his pants were halfway off, the car door suddenly swung open.

The director poked his head in. “Xiao Chu, come out for dinner… Huh???”

What greeted him was Wei Lai holding Chu Yin’s leg in a position that looked extremely compromising. Both men twisted their heads to stare at him in stunned silence.

Director: “…Carry on. My bad.”

Chu Yin: “Director!!!”

Wei Lai’s nostrils flared like Erkang’s³A main character from My Fair Princess. The actor who played him was expressive and dramatic, and his nostril flaring scene became a meme.: “IT’S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!!!”

But the door had already slammed shut. The director walked away with forced composure, then suddenly broke into a sprint, considerately shooing away anyone else who might come to check.

“That’s all I can do for you.” Under the setting sun, the director didn’t look back, his face blooming with the smile of a fujoshi auntie.

• 1
  A character from the Chinese TV drama Romance in the Rain. Her furious door-pounding scene—shouting “Open up. I know you’re in there!” became an internet meme.
• 2
  Lyrics from a Chinese children’s song called “Little Bunny”.
• 3
  A main character from My Fair Princess. The actor who played him was expressive and dramatic, and his nostril flaring scene became a meme.