Just as he had said on the phone, Meng Chengyuan went to a restaurant to pack some food.
He chose a high-end establishment and ordered a pricey nourishing soup. However, he requested that the clerk strain out and discard the ingredients, packing only the liquid broth, after all, he could not let Lin Sui discern the true value of this soup.
The clerk packed the strained ingredients separately in another takeout box and double-checked with Meng Chengyuan, “Sir, this stew contains quite a bit of fish maw. Are you really sure you do not want the ingredients?”
Meng Chengyuan replied expressionlessly, “Yes.”
In addition to the fish maw soup, Meng Chengyuan ordered two portions of beef porridge. He had originally wanted to get beef brisket noodles because he knew Lin Sui loved them, but a sick person needed light food, so Meng Chengyuan chose porridge instead, one portion for each of them.
After packing up the food and returning home, Meng Chengyuan unlocked the door gently. Upon entering, he found that Lin Sui was not in the room.
Sounds came from the kitchen. Meng Chengyuan walked closer and looked; Lin Sui was standing in front of the stove chopping snow pears.
“Didn’t we agree that you should rest more? What are you busy with again?” Although Meng Chengyuan restrained his emotions, a hint of displeasure still leaked into his tone.
Hearing the voice, Lin Sui turned around. A subtle curve appeared on his pale lips as he said, “Brother Yuan, you’re back! I remembered there were still snow pears in the fridge, so I thought I’d brew some pear water for you to soothe your throat. Don’t worry, it’s not tiring.”
Meng Chengyuan set down the food in his hand and wanted to step forward to take over for Lin Sui, but his feet suddenly paused.
Enough.
Meng Chengyuan warned himself in his heart. The fever medicine and pork rib porridge in the morning, the fish maw soup and beef porridge in the afternoon, Meng Chengyuan believed that in this fake emotional game, doing this much was already enough to capture Lin Sui’s heart; there was no need to do any more.
After putting all the ingredients into the pot, Lin Sui noticed the food Meng Chengyuan had brought back and asked curiously, “Brother Yuan, what are we having for dinner?”
Meng Chengyuan said, “Porridge. Drink the soup first, and have the porridge later.”
The freezing wind howled outside, and there was no heating in the apartment. Only now did Meng Chengyuan notice that Lin Sui was standing in front of the dining table wearing nothing more than thin pajamas.
Lin Sui had not bought new clothes in a long time. He had only one thick coat, and once it rained, it took forever to dry, leaving him with virtually no warm clothing to wear.
Meng Chengyuan clenched his fist, a subtle struggle sounding in his voice: “Go sit over there.” He pointed toward the sofa.
Lin Sui carried the bowl of soup over to the sofa. Just as he sat down, Meng Chengyuan leaned in and wrapped his entire body in an embrace.
For this action, Meng Chengyuan found a perfect excuse for himself, Lin Sui could not afford to fall sick again, or it would hinder the smooth execution of his plan.
So, Lin Sui snuggled in Meng Chengyuan’s arms while sipping the soup. With a spoonful of soup down his throat, the sweet smile in his eyes deepened slightly. He looked up at Meng Chengyuan and said, “Brother Yuan, what kind of soup is this? It’s so flavorful. You should try some too.”
Meng Chengyuan stared into Lin Sui’s eyes, his originally stern voice softening a little: “I won’t drink it. It’s fish soup. You drink more.”
Lin Sui never doubted a single word Meng Chengyuan said, quietly finishing the soup bit by bit.
At this moment, he could clearly feel the warmth radiating from Meng Chengyuan’s chest pressed against his back. Lin Sui greedily held on to this warmth, remaining leaned against Meng Chengyuan’s chest, unwilling to get up.
About twenty minutes passed before Lin Sui remembered his main task. He pulled out his phone and showed a promotional advertisement to Meng Chengyuan: “Brother Yuan, this ad is recruiting amateur models. If chosen, the compensation is three thousand yuan.”
Mentioning the amount of three thousand yuan, the light in Lin Sui’s eyes flickered slightly, as if he were harboring hopes for something, while also blaming himself inwardly: He possessed no specialized skills, and even working three part-time jobs a day made gathering enough money for Meng Chengyuan’s medical treatment a daunting task.
Meng Chengyuan glanced at the phone screen, his thin lips pursed slightly into a tight line, seemingly lost in thought.
A few seconds later, he reminded, “It might be a scam. Don’t trust it easily.”
Clearly, if Lin Sui were scammed, it would only prove the smooth progression of his plan. Yet for reasons unknown, Meng Chengyuan unconsciously blurted out such words.
Lin Sui lowered his eyes to look at the ad, his eyelashes blinking gently as he whispered, “Don’t worry, Brother Yuan. I will get full clarity before doing anything.”
Seeing Lin Sui’s insistence, Meng Chengyuan said nothing more.
Lin Sui did not know that the three thousand yuan compensation he constantly fretted over was completely trivial to Meng Chengyuan.
After resting for a day, Lin Sui felt that his body had mostly recovered, so he went back to work.
Along the way, he took time to visit the location mentioned in the ad to check the situation, confirming it was a legitimate company.
Relieved, Lin Sui took a form and filled out his registration details.
He sat in a spot near the window where sunlight filtered through the clouds, weaving an ethereal halo around him.
Against this glow, his face looked even more refined, his skin resembling warm jade, making his entire person appear like an angel emerging from the light.
He filled out the form attentively, the sound of his pen gliding across the paper soft and subtle.
This scene happened to be noticed by Shen Xinglan, the manager in charge of planning this event. He asked the staff member beside him, “Is that person here to register for the selection?”
The staff member replied, “Yes, Manager Shen. His appearance fits our requirements quite well, but he is too thin.”
Staring at Lin Sui’s slender back, Shen Xinglan said firmly, “It’s fine. Give him a chance to try. I believe there will be unexpected gains.”
The staff member followed Shen Xinglan’s instruction to convey this message to Lin Sui. Lin Sui was both surprised and overjoyed, confirming with him repeatedly. Upon receiving the same affirmative response in the end, Lin Sui hurriedly expressed his gratitude.
Lin Sui could not wait to share this good news with Meng Chengyuan.
However, Meng Chengyuan’s reaction was completely unexpected; he did not seem to feel the slightest joy over Lin Sui being selected as an amateur model.
Yet Lin Sui never dwelled on things or forced them, though a faint sense of disappointment quietly took root in his heart.
A week later, Lin Sui was notified to go to the site for an audition, and Shen Xinglan personally came to supervise.
Facing the camera, the completely inexperienced Lin Sui was naturally stiff in his reactions. But after a round of shooting, Shen Xinglan remained quite satisfied with his presence.
When the audition ended, Shen Xinglan took the initiative to approach Lin Sui and talk to him: “As a newcomer with no shooting experience at all, I think your performance did not disappoint. With a few more practice sessions, you will find the right feel.”
Shen Xinglan smiled warmly at Lin Sui, easing Lin Sui’s nerves bit by bit. Lin Sui nodded slightly and said, “Thank you, Manager Shen. I will work hard.”
Shen Xinglan could not help but ask out of curiosity, “May I know your purpose for participating in this event? Do you want to leverage the ad’s influence to debut as an artist? Or do you simply find shooting interesting?”
Honest as he was, Lin Sui did not hide anything and replied, “I… am doing it for the three thousand yuan compensation.”
This answer caught Shen Xinglan off guard. Because this ad carried a certain level of influence, they were confident that many people would use it as a stepping stone to become an artist, willing to participate even without compensation; thus, the three thousand yuan figure had been written down arbitrarily at the time.
After all, if someone went viral, they would get far more than that amount.
If anyone else had given such an answer, Shen Xinglan might have considered the person disingenuous, but coming from Lin Sui’s mouth, Shen Xinglan could not bring himself to harbor the slightest doubt.
Looking into Lin Sui’s sincere eyes, he felt even more goodwill toward this boy.
Shen Xinglan reached out and patted Lin Sui’s shoulder, offering brief encouragement: “Mm, keep it up.”
This gesture was caught right in the eyes of Meng Chengyuan, who had come looking for Lin Sui.
If Zou Yu’s appearance had given Meng Chengyuan a tiny sense of vigilance, then the talented and handsome Shen Xinglan was a massive threat.
Meng Chengyuan stepped forward quickly. Before Lin Sui could speak, he took the initiative to grab Lin Sui’s hand, reprimanding stiffly, “Don’t linger here once the shooting is over. It’s getting late.”
Sensing the implicit anger in the man’s mood, Lin Sui was confused, but he gently tugged Meng Chengyuan’s arm and replied, “Okay, Brother Yuan, let’s go home.”
Shen Xinglan did not inquire about Meng Chengyuan’s identity, perhaps because his actions were already obvious. As Meng Chengyuan led Lin Sui away, Shen Xinglan could capture a clear hostility in the other man’s eyes, as if warning him to stay away from Lin Sui.
Shen Xinglan let out a soft laugh and paused for a moment while watching the direction the two departed in.
After pulling Lin Sui away from the shooting location, Meng Chengyuan did not let go of his hand.
Steadiness returning to his breathing, Meng Chengyuan asked, “Was that person the manager just now?”
Feeling a strange sense of pressure, Lin Sui caught his breath and answered, “Mm, his name is Shen Xinglan, the manager of that company.”
Young, successful, handsome, and wealthy, these words were no exaggeration when applied to Shen Xinglan. At the shooting site, this person’s radiance made Meng Chengyuan notice his presence at a single glance.
Thus, a sense of crisis unexplainably struck his heart, yet Meng Chengyuan was oblivious to it, feeling only as though the air had turned thick and sticky, laboriously entering and leaving his chest.
Then, Meng Chengyuan reminded, “Most people in their line of work lack proper moral character. Pay attention in the future and don’t get too close to them.”
To Lin Sui, these words carried the sweetness of care. Delighted, he rested his head on Meng Chengyuan’s shoulder and promised, “I will listen to you. I’m only doing this to get the compensation and won’t have unnecessary contact with anyone.”
Hearing the firmness in Lin Sui’s tone, Meng Chengyuan felt his breathing ease slightly. Subsequently, as if bestowing a reward, he reached out to touch the stray bangs on Lin Sui’s forehead.
He said, “Your bangs are a bit long, almost covering your eyes.”
Lin Sui replied, “They said I can’t cut them yet; it will make styling easier when the actual shooting takes place.”
Meng Chengyuan brushed Lin Sui’s bangs aside, barely pulling his lips into a faint smile. As if seeking re-assurance, he asked, “If you accidentally become famous, will you abandon me?”
Lin Sui’s heart ached. No matter in what form the topic of “separating” was brought up, he would feel a surge of suffocation.
Because in this lifetime, he had never once thought about separating from Meng Chengyuan.