If The Persona Is Wrong, Everything Else Is In Vain - Chapter 7

“How much longer do we have to wait?” Gu Ning kicked at an anthill on the ground, standing up irritably. He glanced into the central hall, where Ming Songqin was currently deep in conversation with the director.

Lin Luo leaned casually against the doorframe, taking a bite of a cucumber. The fresh scent instantly filled his senses. “You’re the one who keeps talking to yourself,” he said muffledly. “Now you’re annoyed?”

Gu Ning glared at him. “You have the nerve to say that? If it weren’t for you, would these two be at each other’s throats?” He pointed one finger at Ming Songqin, who had entered ‘business mode’ in the hall, and the other at Zhou Wan, who was napping in a rocking chair by the door.

“You really have great luck, kid,” Gu Ning said with a hint of bitterness, clicking his tongue. “You managed to run into both of these characters.”

Lin Luo gave a cold snort. “If you want this ‘good fortune,’ I’ll give it to you. You want it?”

“No,” Gu Ning answered decisively. Hesitating for even a second would be a sign of disrespect toward his playboy lifestyle.

There are plenty of fish in the sea, he thought. Why get entangled with these two emotionally unstable weirdos?

Lin Luo finished the cucumber and swallowed. Suddenly, he added, “It shouldn’t be like that. I can understand if you’re talking about Zhou Wan.”

“But Ming Songqin? What’s wrong with him? He just looks after me like a younger brother,” Lin Luo waved it off. “He’s always been like that.”

“Wow,” Gu Ning leaned in close, staring as if trying to see right through him. “You really are thick-skinned. You seriously can’t tell that President Ming likes you?”

Lin Luo: “?”

“Fine, just treat it as me being meddlesome.” Gu Ning curled his lip, a flash of loneliness crossing his eyes. He squatted back down to count ants, a nameless fire burning through his mind.

Lin Luo squatted next to him and smoothed down his hair. “Speaking of which, that boss came here for serious work. But you, old man, look like you’re planning to stay here permanently. Doesn’t look like it’s for business either.”

He teased Gu Ning: “What are you here for?”

“If Ming Songqin is doing ‘serious business,’ it’s not like I’m doing anything ‘unserious,'” Gu Ning looked disdainfully at the well-dressed Ming Songqin. “Is he the only one allowed to roam around freely while I get questioned just for stepping out of the house?”

“Do you have no conscience?” Gu Ning poked his shoulder. “You really don’t know what I’m here for?”

He looked hurt, clutching his chest with one hand and pointing at Lin Luo with the other. He looked so choked up he might actually cry. “Besides me, can you find a second person willing to give you a professional massage for free?”

Lin Luo grabbed his hand, gazing deeply into his eyes in a mocking comfort. “Fine, fine, I’ve failed you.” He rolled his shoulders and chuckled. “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would’ve forgotten. But your technique really is the most authentic.”

“I’ll be counting on you from now on,” he said, bowing his head to Gu Ning.

At that moment, Ming Songqin finished his business and walked out. He immediately saw the two of them acting out a drama at the door. His eyes dimmed as he looked at Lin Luo’s shoulder.

“Alright, let’s go.” He reached out toward Lin Luo. “Your…” Before he could touch him, Lin Luo suddenly stepped back.

Lin Luo himself was stunned afterward. It was an instinctive reaction to a sudden intrusion of personal space. At least within his line of sight, he was actually quite resistant to Ming Songqin getting close.

But as Ming Songqin often implied, their families had been very close. In his childhood, Lin Luo had indeed been very dependent on him. Even after Ming’s father made a fortune and moved the family from Shuihe Village to Yunzhou, they had stayed in touch.

In fact, after Lin Luo’s father died and his family fell into hardship, it was Ming Songqin who gave him a hand.

One could even say that Ming Songqin was the one who led him through the doors of the entertainment industry, though that beautiful dream had shattered quickly.

Lin Luo still remembered the conversation he had with Ming Songqin when he decided to go independent with Gu Ning.

He had said: “Thank you for your cultivation, President Ming. But I have my own life. I don’t want to get things for nothing anymore, living like a hothouse flower that only cares about being fed while you shield me from the wind and rain.”

Although Ming Songqin had cut off his career path back then, he had never stopped providing generous financial support.

He was like a bird in a cage; he didn’t even have to please his master to live a life of luxury.

Ming Songqin had been busy dealing with a scandal involving a top artist at the time. Exhausted, he had looked up from the computer screen, removed his glasses, and rubbed his aching temples. “You used to call me Brother Ming. Xiao Luo, you hate me.”

Lin Luo had kept his head down, silent.

It wasn’t a silence of protest, but one of genuine reflection. It took a long time before he reached a conclusion.

He said: “I don’t.” And it was the truth.

But looking back now, perhaps he had even deceived himself then.

Ming Songqin had built a door of hope for him with his own hands, only to destroy it just as Lin Luo was getting excited…

Lin Luo had tried to lie to himself, saying that Ming was just paving a safe path for him that as long as he followed the pre-dug footprints, there would be no risk. But that wasn’t what he wanted.

The result was something even he found hard to believe, his passion for the industry, his hunger for the camera and the lights, actually outweighed the temptation of money during his times of distress.

Ming Songqin’s hand froze in mid-air. He pointed to Lin Luo’s face. “There’s a cucumber crumb on your face.”

Lin Luo frantically wiped around his mouth, but it was Zhou Wan who reached out and precisely picked it off for him.

After picking it off, Zhou Wan showed zero social awareness. He naturally took a bite of the half-eaten cucumber in Lin Luo’s hand and smacked his lips. “Pretty fragrant.”

Good grief. The already awkward atmosphere was instantly doused in gasoline.

There were many staff members bustling around, and some were staring wide-eyed, giving Lin Luo the feeling that they were thinking, “God, these two are actually real.”

In reality, it was just that Zhou Wan’s sudden proximity had left Lin Luo unable to react in time.

The look in Ming Songqin’s eyes, along with his tightening expression, made Lin Luo even more embarrassed.

He guiltily glanced at Ming Songqin. If I say I just didn’t react in time, would he even believe me?

He didn’t know what was wrong with Zhou Wan today. Usually, the guy was a total germaphobe who would wash a straw before using it.

Lin Luo busily wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead. He grabbed Gu Ning and said, “Let’s go, let’s go. The camellias on the mountain are in full bloom, you’ll definitely like them.”

As he spoke, he took the lead.

“Tsk, a love triangle, huh?” Gu Ning said as he was dragged forward. He couldn’t help but offer a sharp critique. “How tragic.”

Shuihe Village was arranged neatly along the river on one side, but on the side backed by the mountain, the terrain was steeper and the houses more scattered.

The group lived on the river side and took a shortcut straight across to the mountain side.

From a distance, they could see the camellias blooming all over the mountain, dotting the lush green forest and adding a splash of vibrant color to the quiet, monotonous mountain.

The mountain path was narrow, making it impossible for four people to walk side by side. Even if they could, the positioning was a delicate matter, so they split into two groups.

Lin Luo and Gu Ning walked in front. Neither Zhou Wan nor Ming Songqin wanted to be last, so they “buried the hatchet” and walked side by side.

“Take it.” Before Ming Songqin could place his jacket on Lin Luo, Zhou Wan forcefully threw his own jacket onto Lin Luo first.

It was early spring. Although the sun was shining brightly, the morning mist in the mountains hadn’t fully dissipated. It was damp and cold. Ming Songqin had come prepared, bringing an extra layer.

After taking off his jacket, Zhou Wan was only wearing a thin sweatshirt. The moment the warmth left him, he instinctively shivered. He forced himself to act unbothered, though his lips were turning blue from the cold as he tried to look cool.

Ming Songqin glanced at him, then turned and gave his jacket to Gu Ning, who was rubbing his arms.

Gu Ning didn’t react at first. The next second, a look of horror crossed his face. A “Holy sh*t!” escaped his lips as he suddenly burst into athletic motion, flinging the jacket several meters away. He went from rubbing his arms to frantically brushing his clothes as if he had touched something incredibly filthy.

His violent reaction immediately drew everyone’s attention. They all looked at him with various expressions.

Ming Songqin was stunned at first, looking at him in confusion. Then his brow twitched, a nameless fire suppressed beneath his frown.

He could tolerate Lin Luo’s distance and was willing to remain “deeply devoted,” but Gu Ning’s reaction truly provoked his innate impatience.

Gu Ning looked away and gave a dry laugh, his lips pale. “Don’t trouble yourself, President Ming. I’m not cold.”

“Wait for me!” Lin Luo called out behind him.

He quickened his pace to catch up and noticed that Zhou Wan had also sped up, maintaining a distance of about half a step behind him. This distance was only to avoid stepping on Lin Luo, otherwise, one could easily claim he was trying to stick himself onto Lin Luo.

Lin Luo was bewildered. “What are you doing?”

Zhou Wan followed quietly with his head down, arms crossed over his chest. His face was white, but he remained stubborn. “Afraid of getting lost.”

Then he added crossly, “Do you know how much this young master is worth? If you lose me, you couldn’t afford to pay it back even if you sold yourself.”

Lin Luo rolled his eyes. “Then I should just sell you directly. I’d probably make a fortune.”

“You wouldn’t dare!”

Lin Luo grabbed the jacket on him, intending to give it back. Zhou Wan stubbornly pressed his hand down, saying something nonsensical and contradictory: “No need. You’re in poor health. I’m not cold.”

“Since when did I have poor health?” Lin Luo was completely confused. “I’m an Alpha. I’m definitely healthier than you.”

As he spoke, he forcibly returned the jacket, putting it on Zhou Wan and pulling up the hood. Finally, he yanked the drawstrings of the hoodie tight, tying up that face that was causing him so much mental distress inside the hood.

“Take care of yourself first, ‘priceless’ Young Master Zhou.”

If you get sick, how are you going to help me make money? How will you serve as my shield?

Zhou Wan stood there, looking through the gap at Lin Luo’s retreating figure. His gaze remained locked on Lin Luo’s left shoulder. Lin Luo’s warmth was still trapped inside the jacket, not a bit of it escaping.

In the cramped space, air circulation was poor, and the scent of fresh body wash filled his nose. Thus, the scent from Lin Luo combined with the “greenhouse effect” of the carbon dioxide became the culprit that caused Zhou Wan’s cheeks to flush red.

Zhou Wan greedily inhaled, the scent surrounding him until he was flushed and having trouble breathing. When he finally took off the hood to be revived by oxygen, he even felt the oxygen tasted too bitter.

Ming Songqin, walking last, passed by him. He gave him a casual glance, a slight smile playing on his lips that didn’t reach his eyes.

There was a flat area at the top of the mountain serving as an observation deck. From there, one could see the camellias in full bloom and the cultural changes of the Shuihe basin.

Most tourists who came to Shuihe went to famous “influencer” spots, few knew about this excellent hidden vantage point.

The morning mist had been dispersed by the sun. Dewdrops still hung on the flowers and trees. The rising water vapor carried the fragrance into the air, delivering it to everyone’s olfactory nerves.

Just a moment ago, Gu Ning had been complaining about the exhaustion of climbing and refusing to move. The next second, upon reaching the observation deck, his eyes were captivated by the scenery.

He took a deep breath, striking the pose of a mature elite male, and sighed, “To climb high and see far… how refreshing.”

However, his seriousness didn’t last three seconds. He pulled out his phone and tossed it to Lin Luo. “Quick, take some pictures of me! I’m going to post them online later.” As he spoke, he guided Lin Luo on angles and techniques.

Once Gu Ning went off happily to post his photos, Lin Luo remembered his own burner account. He took a few shots of the scenery first, feeling very satisfied.

Then, he turned the lens toward Zhou Wan. He had to admit, that profile was indeed superior, fluid lines and a melancholic temperament. The vibe was incredible, few people could blend a seemingly ‘chunibyo’ appearance with such a perfectly balanced sense of melancholy.

Zhou Wan was a “natural.”

Lin Luo set the grid lines and adjusted the focus. Just as he was about to press the shutter, Zhou Wan turned his head.

The sea of flowers served as a perfect backdrop, with the blurred colors in the distance acting as accents. In the foreground focus, the slight curve of the man’s lips, the bright smile in his eyes, and the youthful aura of someone emerging from the shadows into the sunlight were frozen in the photo.

Lin Luo was stunned.

“What?” Zhou Wan returned to his usual state, as if everything just now had been a hallucination of Lin Luo’s.

“Nothing,” Lin Luo instinctively locked his phone screen. “Nothing, just taking pictures of the scenery.”

Zhou Wan arched an eyebrow, staring down at his phone. “Let me see them too.”