Chapter 39 – Extra – Anniversary

Guan Lan had been busy all night and slept in a daze, completely disoriented by the time he was woken up by a ringing sound.

In his groggy state, he saw the name “Chen Jin” on the screen and immediately got angry. His sleep-deprived rage burst out: “What are you doing in the middle of the night? This better be an emergency!”

After yelling into the phone for what felt like half a cup of tea, he realized two things: first, it was actually daytime, and second, this wasn’t a call from Chen Jin.

It wasn’t even a call.

It was just an alarm, with the notification: “Chen Jin: One Year.”

Suddenly, Guan Lan felt a chill run down his spine, almost thinking this was some kind of paranormal event.

He sat on the bed in a daze for five minutes, waiting for the sleepiness to fully fade, before confirming two facts: first, Chen Jin was still alive and well, and second, today was probably the anniversary of the day he and Chen Jin officially became friends.

…This was just too weird. Why had he set such an alarm? He couldn’t even remember the exact date of his anniversary with Zhuang Lin!

While brushing his teeth and washing his face, he gradually remembered that there had been an incident last year:

He and Chen Jin made a bet that if Yang Peiqing didn’t discover the truth about their relationship within a year, Chen Jin would voluntarily confess to Yang Peiqing that they’ve never actually been together.

Guan Lan pressed his hand against his suddenly excited heart and sincerely repented: “I’m such a bad person.”

Zhuang Lin had gradually stopped being jealous of Chen Jin—or maybe he still was but just didn’t show it. Yang Peiqing, on the other hand, had consistently disliked Guan Lan, treating him as a strategic rival, which made Chen Jin have to sneak around every time he wanted to see Guan Lan, like he was having an affair.

Their secret relationship was finally about to see the light of day.

It was an ordinary Tuesday, the most drowsy time of the day at 2 p.m. Many people struggling through work or school stifled their yawns and secretly pulled out their phones to scroll through Weibo, only to stumble upon this post:

Guan Lan: It’s been a year. @Chen Jin

Those five short words made many people jolt awake.

It’s been a year? A year since what?

In the internet age, verifying information was easy. Soon, someone discovered that exactly one year ago, there had been news about Guan Lan and Chen Jin dining together, being chauffeured around, and behaving intimately.

Marketing accounts with sharp noses quickly jumped on the bandwagon, compiling a timeline of Guan Lan and Chen Jin’s CP storyline: “One Year Later: The Main Couple Themselves Drop Sugar, Has Guan Lan’s Husband Finally Surfaced?”

The enthusiastic netizens, led by the Guan Lan Harem Ranking Committee, were moved to tears, eagerly awaiting Chen Jin’s response.

Chen Jin’s response didn’t come, but the situation developed along an even more exciting storyline.

At 3 p.m.

Zhuang Lin: One year and thirty-five days. @Guan Lan

The harem thread that had sunk to page fifty of the forum was quickly bumped back up, its popularity skyrocketing.

Vice Chairman of the Guan Lan Harem Ranking Committee: “Although we haven’t been able to find out what happened one year and thirty-five days ago, based on the time Zhuang Lin returned to the country and later signed with Guan Lan, we can infer that this was probably the day they first met.”

“Nice, Consort Lin has guts! Going head-to-head, don’t stop!”

After Zhuang Lin’s relentless efforts, he had finally jumped two ranks and secured a position among the Four Consorts.

“Ah, this is the aura of a favored consort! I think he’ll be promoted to Noble Consort by the end of the year!”

Some people tried to dampen the excitement: “Can you guys stop immersing yourselves in this harem fantasy? It was fine to play around with this meme before, but now that Guan Lan clearly has a stable partner, isn’t it a bit inappropriate?”

Such killjoy voices were quickly drowned out in the vast ocean of public opinion.

So what if he has a partner? As long as the identity of that mysterious husband remains unknown, the committee’s work must continue!

At 3:15 p.m.

Lu Qing: Six years and one hundred and forty days. @Guan Lan

While Zhuang Lin’s post required some guesswork, Lu Qing’s message was crystal clear. She attached a photo of the “Phantom Night Bar” sign. Old fans knew that Lu Qing used to be a singer at this bar, and it was here that she met Guan Lan.

By this point, some quick-witted people had caught a whiff of something: this wasn’t just some casual gossip or scandal; it was a carefully orchestrated online marketing campaign.

Thus, people from all walks of life who knew Guan Lan began jumping on the bandwagon with their own anniversaries—one year, two years, three years, five years.

The event reached its climax at 4 p.m.

Zhou Junzhuo: Fifteen years and two hundred and seventy-three days. @Guan Lan

The accompanying photo was a hand-drawn poster of their high school band.

This post silenced everyone.

“You win, you win.”

“Can’t compete, can’t compete.”

“Hahaha, Old Zhou comes out swinging, and no one can beat him!”

“Only Guan Lan’s mom with her prenatal ultrasound photo can go toe-to-toe with this.”

The people in the harem thread were utterly confused: Was this really just a marketing campaign? Did Guan Lan have a new song or album coming out? This was a pretty novel way to promote it!

Meanwhile, the mastermind behind it all, Guan Lan, was dumbfounded.

Let’s rewind the clock.

At 2:05 p.m., Chen Jin called.

Chen Jin: “What the hell are you doing!!! Did someone steal your phone, or have you suddenly gone crazy?!”

Guan Lan: “Have you forgotten our bet?”

Chen Jin: “What bet? That if I accidentally kill you one day, I’ll take care of your funeral arrangements?”

Guan Lan: “Sigh, I knew you’d forgotten.”

Guan Lan: “Today, you’re supposed to officially admit that you’ve been married to someone with an IQ deficit for a whole year without figuring out the truth about our relationship, and then tell him the truth. Don’t you remember?”

Chen Jin: …

He struggled to defend himself: “Who says he hasn’t figured it out? He probably realized it a long time ago and just hasn’t said anything.”

Guan Lan: “Sure, whatever makes you happy.”

Chen Jin: “…Just you wait! I’ll make him figure it out on his own!”

Guan Lan: “You’ve got ten hours left before the day ends. Good luck.”

Chen Jin angrily hung up.

Guan Lan looked at the constant stream of reposts and comment notifications on his screen and thought, “I’m really too evil.”

At 2:30 p.m., Guan Lan’s joy didn’t last long before his own backyard caught fire.

Zhuang Lin rushed home in a panic from an advertising shoot, still wearing his makeup.

Guan Lan: “You’re back so early? No more activities?”

Activities? If he stayed out any longer, his wife might run off!

But Zhuang Lin had always kept his jealous husband act under control. While his heart was sour enough to pickle vegetables, his face remained sweet as honey: “I was worried you’d wake up alone and feel lonely.”

Guan Lan, however, was no longer the rookie in love who would drop his pants at a couple of sweet words: “Don’t try to fool me. If you come clean now, we can talk. If I have to ask your manager about your schedule, I might not be so nice.”

Zhuang Lin: “…I saw your Weibo post.”

Guan Lan: …

Zhuang Lin, aggrieved: “You forgot our anniversary! But you remembered your one-year anniversary with him!”

Guan Lan: “Don’t try to trick me. Our anniversary hasn’t even arrived yet. Not just our anniversary, but even the one-year mark since our first time hasn’t come yet.”

Zhuang Lin: “What about the first time we met? The first time we went on a date? You don’t even remember!”

Guan Lan: “Wait, which date are you talking about?”

Zhuang Lin: “The day after we met, you took me to a Cantonese restaurant! I remember it clearly!”

Guan Lan was stunned.

Where’s your shame? That wasn’t even a date!

Guan Lan: “You were clearly annoyed with me back then, looking all impatient. Don’t think I don’t remember.”

Mentioning that painful chapter of his history made Zhuang Lin feel a bit guilty: “Didn’t we agree not to bring up the past?”

Guan Lan: “Right, no bringing up the past. But you can’t be hypocritical either. You can’t bring up my past with Chen Jin.”

Zhuang Lin had no retort, but he was still fuming.

Here he was, Zhuang Lin, who had worked so hard to stand out among a million love rivals, climbing from a lowly talent to a consort, diligently producing content and fighting his way up, finally securing his position among the Four Consorts. And then there was Chen Jin, the true love who appeared out of nowhere, immediately becoming a hot candidate for the position of empress, with Guan Lan occasionally dropping sweet hints himself. How could he not feel bitter?

At 3 p.m.

Guan Lan realized that Zhuang Lin was a stubborn brat. He might act sweet and obedient, but he was actually a hard-headed troublemaker. No matter how well he promised to behave, he never hesitated to stir up trouble.

Guan Lan: “Come on, tell me, what’s your real issue here?”

Guan Lan: “Are you really that hung up on Chen Jin? He’s been with Yang Peiqing for years, and he’s a bottom. You know that, right?”

Zhuang Lin: “I’m not doubting you… It’s not Chen Jin I’m worried about.”

Zhuang Lin: “I just want the whole world to know you’re mine. It’s not about guarding against rivals or asserting dominance. I just want them to know.”

Guan Lan looked into Zhuang Lin’s misty eyes and felt his pants about to drop.

Just as his pants were on the verge of dropping, Guan Lan’s phone buzzed.

Guan Lan: “Damn it, why is Lu Qing joining in on this nonsense?!”

Zhuang Lin: “You have Lu Qing set as a special contact?!”

Guan Lan: “She’s the type to say anything without a filter, so I had to keep a close eye on her… Damn it, what’s all this?! Why is everyone jumping on the bandwagon?! It’s all your fault for starting this!”

Zhuang Lin: “…Why is it my fault? You were the one who posted first.”

Guan Lan: “Why are you bringing up the past now?”

Zhuang Lin was stunned by this audacious logic.

He thought, “I’m gay, so why can’t I escape the fate of never winning an argument with my wife?”

—

Time was running out for Chen Jin.

His high-maintenance little princess was thoroughly upset by Guan Lan’s Weibo post.

Chen Jin’s feelings were complicated.

By now, he could no longer deceive himself—it seemed that Yang Peiqing had indeed been fooled by their spur-of-the-moment, clumsy act for an entire year, completely oblivious to the truth.

Thinking about this, Chen Jin felt the road ahead in life was long and arduous, and with only his own intelligence to rely on, the weight of responsibility was overwhelming.

Chen Jin: “Guan Lan and Zhuang Lin are happily together, and he’s the bottom. You know that, right?”

Yang Peiqing: “Of course I know. I also know that when you two were together, he was the one on the bottom.”

Chen Jin: “…What?”

Yang Peiqing: “No need to deny it. He told me himself.”

How many pits had Guan Lan dug for him behind his back?

Yang Peiqing: “He also said that you were originally a top, but you lowered yourself for my sake.”

Chen Jin: “You’ve slept with me for so long. Can’t you have a little more confidence in yourself? Do I look like a top to you?”

Yang Peiqing: “Oh, so you’re saying you were a top for Guan Lan, but you’re holding back tears to be a bottom for me? That’s some deep love.”

Chen Jin felt like jumping into a river.

However, Chen Jin hadn’t given up on that sliver of hope that Yang Peiqing would discover the truth on his own.

Chen Jin: “What do you think he means by ‘one year’?”

Yang Peiqing glanced at him sideways: “I’ve already stopped bringing this up. Are you looking for a fight today?”

Chen Jin ignored his provocation and gently guided him: “Look, a year ago today, you, me, and Guan Lan had a meal together. Logically, Guan Lan and I should have already been together for a while by then, so today isn’t our anniversary. So why would Guan Lan say ‘one year’? Think about it.”

Yang Peiqing: “Hmm, you’ve been together for a while, so today must be the anniversary of the first time you slept together.”

Yang Peiqing: “So after we finished eating last year, you two went back and got in bed together. That’s what you’re saying, right?”

Yang Peiqing’s tone grew heavier: “It seems like you’re really looking for a fight today.”

Chen Jin finally snapped.

Chen Jin: “No! I never got together with Guan Lan, and I never slept with him! We’re just good sisters! It’s pure! It was all an act, all to trick you!”

Yang Peiqing: “…What?”

Chen Jin: “To piss you off, to show you that I was doing great after our breakup. If I went to dinner with my ex without bringing a current partner, wouldn’t I lose face?”

Yang Peiqing: “But you two acted way too convincingly.”

Chen Jin: “Guan Lan couldn’t take it anymore and told me several times to just come clean and get it over with. But I didn’t believe it. I thought you’d figure it out on your own… Who would’ve thought that, after all my calculations, I still underestimated your IQ.”

Yang Peiqing was silent for a long time before speaking.

Yang Peiqing: “You think I’m really stupid, don’t you? I’ve been fooled by you for a whole year, completely clueless, right?”

Yang Peiqing: “Do you know that the managers under me call me the ‘Cheating Captain’ behind my back? When it comes to the artists, who’s sleeping with whom, who’s secretly married, who’s cheating, who’s involved in money-for-sex deals—I call them into my office, ask a few questions, and I can tell if they’re lying at a glance. I’ve never been wrong, not even with the best actors.”

Yang Peiqing: “Only you… I never doubted a single word you said.”

Chen Jin’s heart melted.

He stepped forward and kissed him.

Chen Jin: “I promise you, from now on, I’ll never lie to you again.”

Chen Jin: “Speaking of which… I remember that meal last year, there were four of us. Didn’t you also bring a fake boyfriend? That third-rate actor? Why didn’t you think I might’ve brought a fake one too?”

Yang Peiqing coughed awkwardly, his eyes darting around.

A bad feeling crept into Chen Jin’s heart.

Yang Peiqing: “That… wasn’t fake…”

Yang Peiqing: “But we were only together for less than a month! I broke up with him as soon as I realized I couldn’t forget you!”

Chen Jin gritted his teeth in frustration.

Yang Peiqing cautiously asked: “You… you’re not mad, are you?”

Chen Jin pushed him down with force, straddling him and looking down at him:

“You’re allowed to be jealous, but I’m not?”

…

The next morning, while Chen Jin was still dead asleep, Guan Lan called.

Chen Jin: “…What do you want?”

As soon as he spoke, he realized his voice was hoarse.

Guan Lan: “Good, your voice is hoarse too. That makes me feel better.”

Chen Jin: “…Do you think your voice sounds any better?”

Guan Lan: “Of course, I can’t be the only one suffering. On our anniversary, we share the hardship.”

Chen Jin: “…Yeah, we share the hardship.”

The morning sun filtered through the gaps in the curtains. In two different locations, separated by dozens of kilometers, Mr. Zhuang and Mr. Yang watched their partners, who were holding their phones with smiles on their faces, and felt their jealousy spill over.