Yu Cheng: “!”
Yu Cheng suddenly thought that, given Chu Hanfeng’s temper, the fact that he hadn’t finished him off on the spot meant he must have accumulated immense fortune in past lives.
Thank goodness.
As for what actually happened in the room that night, Yu Cheng neither remembered nor wanted to know, nor dared to know.
In any case, it certainly wasn’t anything good.
Yet, upon careful reflection, he was indeed in the wrong here.
While people under the influence of alcohol lacked reason, that still wasn’t an excuse for him to recklessly take advantage of Chu Hanfeng.
However, Yu Cheng genuinely hadn’t expected that Chu Hanfeng would have the kindness to send him home. Was it possible that he was so startled by that single call of “Big Brother” that he began to doubt his life, fearing Yu Cheng might escalate things and utter even more indecent words, leaving him deeply traumatized in both body and mind?
That very night, Yu Cheng sent Chu Hanfeng’s coat to the dry cleaner’s, leaving his address with repeated, earnest instructions to have the clothes delivered promptly.
Actually, Yu Cheng himself had no idea whether Chu Hanfeng was still living there.
After all, the last time they met, Chu Hanfeng hadn’t said a single word about the limited-edition sneakers Yu Cheng had previously sent him. He had no clue whether Chu Hanfeng had never received them, or had simply thrown them straight into the trash upon arrival.
Well, either way, it didn’t matter. It at least saved him from unnecessary trouble and racking his brains to explain to Chu Hanfeng that he truly harbored no other ulterior motives.
Yu Cheng had no time to dwell on it, as he suddenly caught wind of the news that Yu Zhengxiang had been hospitalized.
That industrious workaholic, who used to leave early and return late, had unprecedentedly canceled all meeting schedules upon receiving his physical examination report, immediately having the hospital arrange a private room for him.
Following the text-messaged address sent by Secretary Liu, Yu Cheng rushed anxiously to the hospital room, arriving just in time to overhear Yu Zhengxiang’s earnest voice from outside the door: “Fate is a matter of life and death; I’m not worried about myself. I just worry that Xiao Cheng won’t have anyone to look after him in the future. This child has never been reassuring since he was little, and if I’m gone, I don’t know…”
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
Yu Cheng walked in with a straight face, pulled Yu Zhengxiang’s veteran-style tea mug and prepared toiletries out of his backpack, and then continued, “The doctor already said it’s a space-occupying lesion pending ruling out; we need further tests to determine whether it’s a malignant tumor.”
Yu Zhengxiang showed a momentary flash of panic, a rare expression to see on the man’s face, before quickly forcing himself to calm down. After hanging up the phone, he couldn’t help scolding, “Why do you walk without making a sound? Are you trying to give someone a heart attack?”
Yu Cheng didn’t respond, silently peeling an apple for Yu Zhengxiang. Only after handing it over did he speak up: “The fortune-teller said you’ll live to be a hundred, so stop worrying for nothing.”
Yu Zhengxiang took it and took a bite, the sound crisp and clear.
Chewing a couple of times, Yu Zhengxiang asked vaguely, “By the way, that master was quite accurate. Where is he from?”
Yu Cheng replied, “I was lucky; I ran into him on the street.”
Yu Zhengxiang asked curiously, “Did that person say anything else about you?”
Yu Cheng thought about it seriously for a moment: “He said I’m a naturally blessed person who should eat and drink well, and that I can live very well without anyone else’s care. I think you’d better care more about yourself.”
Hearing this, Yu Zhengxiang was completely satisfied.
Since childhood, Yu Cheng had never been able to keep things to himself, writing every emotion straight across his face. Yu Zhengxiang had no reason to doubt him and asked no further questions.
After coordinating the surgery schedule with the doctor, Yu Cheng stayed at the hospital for two nights before receiving a call from Sun Can the next day.
The person on the other end sounded as though he had won a five-million-dollar lottery, full of boundless vigor and radiant joy: “That variety show is locked in! Filming starts tomorrow.”
Yu Cheng: “?”
Yu Cheng froze for a long moment: “Are you sure?”
Sun Can: “Sure! Why would I trick you?”
Yu Cheng asked with puzzlement: “What happened to the ice-freezing ban?”
Sun Can didn’t understand: “What?”
Yu Cheng hesitated, stopping short: “Didn’t I have a falling out with Zhong Kun?”
Sun Can: “…”
Yu Cheng: “Or was Tong Shi not hardworking enough and failed to serve Zhong Kun properly?”
Sun Can: “…”
Sun Can pondered for two seconds: “Actually, I’m baffled too. I heard that at yesterday’s meeting, Zhong Kun praised you for a full two hours, saying…”
Yu Cheng: “Saying what?”
Sun Can: “Saying your natural conditions are exceptional, and as long as you’re properly cultivated, you’ll be the next Chu Hanfeng, the hope of the entire company.”
Yu Cheng: “…”
Yu Cheng drew in a sharp breath of cold air: “Is he out of his mind?”
And gravely ill, at that.
Just like Tong Shi, who suddenly issued a public apology.
Sun Can: “It could also be that the new boss mentioned something. Word has it that a few days ago, President Xue called Zhong Kun into his office for over half an hour. What was specifically discussed isn’t clear, but ever since he came out, things have been pretty strange.”
Yu Cheng fell deep into thought, not answering immediately.
Sun Can asked suspiciously: “Could it be that you’re very close to our new boss?”
Yu Cheng’s temples suddenly twitched.
Certainly not close.
Yet according to the original plot’s trajectory, in the later stages, he and this new boss, Xue Ji, should be considered romantic rivals.
This guy had known Chu Hanfeng longer than Yu Cheng had, and if they really calculated it, calling them childhood sweethearts wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
Though the CEO gong indeed looked down upon Zhong Kun, all of that was on account of Chu Hanfeng; taking action against Zhong Kun definitely had zero connection to him.
What on earth did dragging him into it mean?
A final burst of clarity before death?
With his mind completely consumed by thoughts of his future survival, Yu Cheng really had no heart to care about the twist-and-turn parachute opportunity Sun Can was talking about. On his way back to the company dormitory, he even went ahead and organized the timeline in his phone’s memo pad, only to realize something felt off.
If it were truly because Chu Hanfeng was angered by Xue Ji, how could Xue Ji let it off so lightly? In the original plot, Zhong Kun and Tong Shi were driven straight out of the entertainment industry by a bedding-photo scandal.
Could it be a warning disguised as leniency?
If he wanted to live a good life, he should stop pestering Chu Hanfeng?
The classic tactic of hitting you once and handing you a sweet?
Was that how people gave warnings?
By the time he reached the company dormitory, Sun Can was already packing his luggage for him.
“This recording is expected to last three days. Make sure to seize the opportunity and fight for more screen time for yourself.”
Yu Cheng stood aimlessly by the wall, casting a glance over the items Sun Can had prepared, his eyebrows lifting slightly: “What on earth is all this clutter?”
“Stain-removal spray, plus these sunglasses and earphones requested by the advertisers. There will be an unboxing segment during the show, so remember to introduce them. Those shots won’t be edited out, so you can leverage them for extra exposure.”
“What’s the use of getting exposure from things like that?”
Yu Cheng muttered under his breath, but seeing how hard Sun Can was working for him, he said no more.
Yet, a murmur inevitably stirred in his heart.
After all, in the original book, even after he went through all sorts of trouble to secure this recording opportunity, not only did he fail to gain any benefits, but he also dragged himself into a pile of trouble. Now, when he was trying every possible means to throw this hot potato away, things went contrary to his wishes, and he couldn’t dodge it no matter how hard he tried.
He refused to believe in such bad luck!
According to the original novel’s plot, this episode of Home used foraging for ingredients as its starting point. All the guests split into two teams: one group went to the river to catch fish, while the other went to the market to buy groceries. Yu Cheng had drawn lots and ended up assigned to the river. Who could have known that midway, someone would trip him, causing him to tumble straight into the water and scratch his sole on the shallow stones?
Perhaps because his mind was entirely immersed in the lingering sorrow of failing to see Chu Hanfeng, he hadn’t paid much attention to it. For the remainder of the time, he mostly sat aside looking at his phone, absentmindedly browsing Chu Hanfeng’s updates.
Little did he expect that after all of this was edited, there wouldn’t be a single mention of his accident. The final broadcast only left behind an antisocial, lazy image, and his occasional silences were magnified and maliciously guided by the camera to make him look sullen. After all, people watching the fun never minded the drama, because the more conflict, the better.
This time, he would absolutely not go back to that river to suffer!
Never!
The commercial vehicle stopped at the entrance of a mountain village, where someone was already waiting. Seeing Yu Cheng step out, they hurried forward to greet him.
“This road is rough to drive on; you must be exhausted,” the person said, reaching out for Yu Cheng’s suitcase. “The path ahead is all steps, so you’ll have to bear with it for a bit.”
In his memory, he had never received such treatment.
Yu Cheng waved his hand to signal no need, dragged his suitcase, and took the duck-billed cap Sun Can had handed him to put on his head. The person didn’t push further, introducing the program’s setup as they walked: “Aside from you, Xiao Cheng, and a few regular guests, there’s also a surprise parachute guest. Originally, the two of you were supposed to arrive together as a surprise entrance, but that person’s schedule is quite tight, so he’ll be arriving a bit later.”
Yu Cheng nodded.
He still had some impression of this other parachute guest. The previous wild rumors about Chu Hanfeng had simply been false; the person who ultimately appeared turned out to be a comedian with an extremely strong variety sense, hogging the spotlight for the majority of that episode.
“By the way, Xiao Cheng, do you have any guesses about which guest you’d like to live with? Care to guess who our surprise guest is?”
Knowing that recording had already begun at this very moment, Yu Cheng didn’t think too deeply: “Someone cheerful, I suppose. The group’s happy pill would be pretty great.”
The person asked out of curiosity: “Why do you think that?”
Yu Cheng paused for half a second, replying with a deadpan expression: “I’m a relatively introverted person and not very good at livening up the atmosphere.”
The person beside him clearly didn’t believe it, raising an eyebrow to give Yu Cheng a few extra looks.
In the activities that followed, Yu Cheng seemed intentionally set on proving he wasn’t lying, staying quietly in an inconspicuous spot to listen to the regular guests banter and chat, occasionally responding with polite remarks, completely inconsistent with the lawless little tyrant everyone had heard about.
Though this sense of contrast was quite novel, it still lacked enough promotional highlights. The production team certainly wouldn’t mind if Yu Cheng caused a bit of trouble; given this young master’s talent for being black-red, ratings would definitely be guaranteed.
Especially since that other surprise guest had actually agreed to squeeze time into their schedule to record.
Even if they only appeared for ten minutes, it would still be an explosive presence.
At this exact moment, Yu Cheng was sprawled on the kitchen floor hunting for crabs.
Originally, the production team had planned for everyone to draw lots to choose between catching fish by the river or buying groceries at the market, but unexpectedly, Yu Cheng took the initiative to state that he was afraid of water with a resolute attitude, leaving the other guests with no grounds for objection.
Yet Yu Cheng’s method of buying groceries was uniquely his own.
Two or three other guests had simply become somewhat familiar faces and barged into haggling with the vendors; since the cameras were rolling, most vegetable vendors gladly agreed, even tossing in a few extra potatoes and scallions.
Yet Yu Cheng, holding the ten yuan provided by the production team, didn’t run around with the regular guests. Instead, he locked his sights on an elderly vendor selling fish, shrimp, and crabs. After a round of warm, folksy small talk, he simply sat down beside the old man in his puffy down jacket, helping hawk goods and man the scale without mentioning money once, acting entirely like a kind-hearted idler as he stayed until dusk.
Yu Cheng naturally possessed clean, handsome facial features, and once the usual cynical vibe faded, he wore an obedient and clever look that caused passersby to turn their heads in succession, teasing the old man about how handsome his little grandson was.
The old man inexplicably gained a cheap grandson for free, and with people coming and going in front of his stall, he actually did much better business than usual. Naturally feeling good about it, before Yu Cheng left, he forcefully stuffed several lively hairy crabs into his hands, and grew displeased when Yu Cheng tried to refuse.
In the end, Yu Cheng couldn’t win the argument. After accepting them, he firmly shoved his only paper bill over, saying he would come back to look around tomorrow, and only then did both parties look satisfied.
And that led to the present scene.
Yu Cheng placed the bag on the stove and went to wash his hands, only to discover a moment later that the crabs in the bag were gone.
Gone.
Every single one of them had slipped away.
Utterly absurd.
Yu Cheng searched every nook and cranny of the corner without finding a single trace, and finally had to turn on his phone flashlight, continuing to peer sideways into the gap beneath the cabinet in a crawling posture.
Suddenly, a familiar voice drifted from behind him: “What is he doing?”
The cameraman froze for a few seconds before replying: “Looking for crabs.”
Never expecting that Chu Hanfeng would rush over a day early, the cameraman’s astonishment was mixed with the lingering amusement provoked by Yu Cheng’s behavior, making even his tone sound half-smiling.
The newcomer asked again: “Where are the others?”
The cameraman assigned to follow Yu Cheng had idled away the day right alongside him, and could only glean a tiny fraction of information from the work group chat: “They all went to play by the river, saying today’s sunset is especially pretty.”
Hearing this, Yu Cheng felt completely baffled, turning his head to stare at Chu Hanfeng’s contemplative profile for a long moment without recovering his wits.
Who was this person?
What happened to the comedian?
Was it still too late for him to quit?
Without any warning, Chu Hanfeng lowered his gaze, glancing down from above.
Yu Cheng crashed headfirst into Chu Hanfeng’s eyes without any psychological preparation, his mind blanking out for a brief second.
After a mere two or three seconds, Yu Cheng patted his clothes and scrambled up from the floor in a flash.
Having long heard that Yu Cheng was Chu Hanfeng’s loyal fan, the cameraman immediately set up his equipment, fully prepared to capture Yu Cheng’s ecstatic and surprised expression.
Only to see Yu Cheng wear a completely expressionless face, abandon the escaped crabs, press flat against the wall, and bolt out through the other side of the front door at top speed.
Without even looking back.