The Top Star Is a Hopeless Romantic - Chapter 2

The moment Lin Yu stepped into the apartment, down poured a sudden torrential rain outside.

Taking two or three steps at a time, he rushed to the balcony. He first carried the dried bedsheets and duvet covers back into the room, then opened the refrigerator to take out a box of semi-prepared tomato beef pasta. Turning on the stove, he stirred it around in the cast-iron skillet and gulped down two mouthfuls, treating it as dinner.

Living alone since college, he had only stayed in the dormitory for one year. In his sophomore year, he signed with Sing Tide Entertainment. Attending classes during the day and training at night, he ran at high intensity continuously for two and a half years before successfully debuting in a boy group. Earning a little from commercial performances and receiving a little financial aid from his family, he bought this apartment.

Accustomed to being alone, taking care of himself was no problem at all. However, his cooking skills had remained steady for six or seven years as if it were a single day, consistently terrible. God opens a door for you, but will inevitably close a window.

He could pull off the hardest Airflare, yet could not manage the simplest tomato pasta. The taste was truly too awful; after picking at a few bites, he pushed it aside, lay down on the sofa, and casually picked up the TV remote control.

The screen remained on the channel from before it was turned off the night before. Hou Chao’s handsome, anger-filled face appeared on the screen, yelling curses at his deeply beloved partner, yet grabbing the partner’s arm just as he turned to leave, authoritatively pulling him into his arms, and kissing him fiercely…

Click! Lin Yu pressed the power button and thumped his chest, the pasta he had just eaten still stuck there. After a while, he threw down the remote control and walked toward the bathroom. Passing by the mirror, he couldn’t help but imitate Hou Chao’s expression, snorting, “Is this the expression a lover should have? It’s more like the Golden Horned King trying to eat a child! And yet a bunch of people are still cheering for this, are they blind…”

He turned on the shower, washing away a floor full of dissatisfaction.

After showering, he looked at the wall clock, launched his game, and first logged into his main account to play two matches, keeping his rank at a neither-high-nor-low level. Then he logged out and switched to his alt account, smartly leaning on his sword as he guarded the edge of the canyon.

After waiting for half an hour, the familiar black cat avatar finally lit up in his friends list.

“You’re here?” Unable to hide his excitement, Lin Yu actively and enthusiastically greeted, “Been busy lately?”, It had been a full thirteen days since they last contacted each other.

The other party quickly replied: “Yes, I’ve had quite a lot of work recently.”

Lin Yu naturally knew what he was busy with. Gritting his teeth behind the screen, he typed, “Wanna go treasure hunting? I’m almost out of ore.”

“Sure.” The other party added a smiley face.

In the virtual world, the two bounced and ran deep into the forest one after the other, defeating monsters and mining ore together. With a clink, another stack of ore was added to his treasure vault, Black Cat Sheriff had yielded all of it to him.

“Why give all of it to me?”

“I still have more.”

“Sheriff, you are so nice!”

He sent a coquettish emoji. His slightly upturned fox eyes swept over the keyboard; after a moment’s hesitation, he added a blowing kiss emoji.

The other party did not reply, continuing to turn around the field, mining ore with heavy panting noises.

Lin Yu let out a sigh of relief, though he also felt a little disappointed. They had chatted intermittently for four years and teamed up in the game for two years; only recently had he dared to extend his paws to probe, yet the other party seemed unaware.

After finishing two rounds, neither of them was in a hurry to log off.

Heart Stealer: “Are you tired today? Are you happy?”

Black Cat Sheriff: “Not tired, what about you?”

Heart Stealer: “I’m not tired either. If you don’t say whether you’re happy or not, that means you’re unhappy, right?”

Black Cat Sheriff: “…”

Heart Stealer: “Are you willing to tell me? I want to share your unhappiness.” Lin Yu typed out word by word.

“I feel like I’m doing a very bad thing.”

“Ah, it can’t be, did you sleep with a fan?” He deliberately joked, and the other party sent back an animated “pummeling” emoji.

“Tell me, if you don’t tell me, I’ll let my imagination run wild.”

Black Cat Sheriff: “It’s also related to fans. I feel like I am… deceiving people.”

Lin Yu understood in an instant: The double-male-lead drama Dominant Love had exploded in popularity, and numerous CP (coupling) fans had emerged online, believing that Hou Chao and Xu Yiqing were a real couple. From a profit perspective, the company banned the artists from declaring their stance in public, neither allowing them to deny nor confirm it. In reality, the two probably were not even friends.

He pondered for a moment and tapped the keyboard: “I told you before about my father having cancer, right? Colon-related. But I might not have told you that my family hid the actual illness from him, saying it was just intestinal polyps.”

“My father didn’t know the truth until he passed away, but he didn’t blame my sister and me. He said that if he had known the real situation early on, he might have lived the rest of his days in pain and fear. Sometimes fans might not necessarily lack understanding; it’s just that beautiful illusions can bring happiness. You don’t need to blame yourself for this, nor should you over-exert yourself to satisfy other people’s expectations.”

The other side fell silent for a moment, then sent a “thank you” sticker. With a beep, another sentence was added: “Thank you for being here.”

With just such a short sentence, Lin Yu felt as if he had eaten ice cream on a sweltering day; every single pore relaxed. Staring at those four words, he giggled foolishly, then typed another line after a moment: “Have you eaten?”

“No. The drama I starred in might get a sequel, so I need to lose weight.”

Dominant Love did not have a huge investment, yet it became a smash hit; a sequel was set in stone. Lin Yu had heard the news early on, rubbing his hands together in eagerness to try for it. To look good on camera, one had to lose weight; even after burning so much physical energy in the afternoon, he had only eaten two bites for dinner.

However, from the glimpse he had in the elevator just now, his intuition told him that Xu Yiqing’s figure was already extremely thin. Losing more weight? You’ve already become so thin?! After typing this sentence, he almost pressed send, but hurriedly deleted it in a panic.

Although “Black Cat Sheriff” had disclosed that his profession was an 18th-tier actor, neither of them had revealed their real identities to each other. “Losing weight doesn’t necessarily mean dieting; exercising works too.”

“Pumping iron builds muscle.” Contrary to Hou Chao, Xu Yiqing played the receptive role and needed to maintain a slender physique.

“Then… how about playing badminton?”

“I would like to, but in our industry, it’s very hard to find a partner.”

“Many people like this sport; maybe you just haven’t noticed.”

“Mm, I’ll take the chance to ask my peers.”

After saying good night to each other and logging off, Lin Yu jumped up to rummage through his drawers and closets. Next to his university campus was a sports institute, and he had frequently competed with those sports majors; badminton and tennis were no trouble at all for him.

Placing two racquets beside his pillow, he bent his elbows to rest his head on his hands. In his mind flashed the figure that had been quickly pulled into someone else’s arms the moment the elevator doors opened, he seemed to have been startled, caught off guard with a touch of pitiable helplessness.

He’s just… average looking! But this expression is… way too fucking seductive!

He flipped over, climbed up, and began doing push-ups. Sweat dripped onto the floor drop by drop; the shower he had just taken was essentially wasted.

Lin Yu collapsed onto the floor, panting heavily, exhaling a bit of unwillingness while breathing in a deeper level of desire. Even Ding Song did not know that he had actually auditioned for this currently hit double-male-lead drama back then, after learning that Xu Yiqing would be starring in it.

He had wanted to act in a scene with him, but unfortunately had no chance. The casting director, Cai Shun, had some friendship with him. After testing two clips, he pulled Lin Yu aside: “Brother, I couldn’t tell that despite coming from a singing and dancing background, your acting is this good.” He gave a thumbs-up. “However… given our friendship, I’ll give you the inside scoop. The role you tried out for has already been designated internally by the company, and Hou Chao’s image fits it best. Besides, isn’t your group holding a concert in the middle of the year? You wouldn’t be able to handle the workload.”

The lead role was out of the question. “How about playing a supporting role?” Lin Yu did not want to give up easily.

Cai Shun looked troubled. “Every slot I have here is already filled, and besides, they are all small roles with barely any lines. Even if you are willing to act, Sister Jiang won’t agree, right?” He squinted at him teasingly.

At that time, Lin Yu had not yet broken up with Jiang Shiyue. Their romantic relationship was a semi-public secret in the circle; later, they completely fell out over the matter of him auditioning for this drama.

Jiang Shiyue was disappointed in him for failing to live up to expectations: “Even though policies have loosened, once you act in a BL (Boys’ Love) drama, it will be difficult to transition back to mainstream dramas. If you want to play a supporting role in Director Fan’s or Director Zhang’s productions, I’ll find a way for you. But for this one, it’s absolutely impossible!”

He felt that her reasons for refusing to help were high-sounding, but in reality, her desire for control was too strong. His full contract was signed with Sing Tide; after making a huge fuss, he still failed to get his wish and instead broke up with Jiang Shiyue. For urban men and women, especially within their circle, breakups and reconciliations were very common. Saying goodbye one night, and saying hi as usual when meeting the next day, coexisting in the same boat, those who had rolled between the sheets ultimately shared a layer of trust and understanding beyond those who hadn’t.

Lin Yu fell asleep gloomily, returning in his dream to that summer six years ago.

Failing the college entrance examination and not getting into his ideal engineering university, his dad poked his head and scolded: “Told you not to play around so wildly, but you wouldn’t listen. Getting such low marks, who are you doing justice to?!”

His mom tried to mediate between both sides: “The child feels bad in his heart, scold him less. You cool down too, watch your blood pressure…”

His sister was watching TV in the living room as if it were none of her business. Lin Yu drifted over in low spirits, only to lock eyes directly with the face on the screen, a pair of eyes comparable to stars looked over, and for a moment, his heart seemed to stop beating.

“Who is this?” After a long while, he finally found his voice.

“His name is Xu Yiqing, handsome, right?” His sister had a starstruck face. “I think he looks super handsome, but unfortunately he’s not very popular. He plays the second male lead in this drama, and the character setup isn’t likable either. If it weren’t for this face carrying it, it would really be unwatchable…”

“His looks are, just alright,” Lin Yu critiqued. “Looking like this and still not being popular means he has no real skill!”

“Nonsense!” His sister said with righteous indignation. “Not only is he handsome, but he also has a great body and sings well. He just lacked a bit of luck…”

At that time, Lin Yu thought nothing of it. Only when he truly entered this industry did he discover how important that bit of luck was. Innumerable handsome men and beautiful women, innumerable drops of sweat and painstaking effort, without the display of a role, the support of events, and the endorsement of awards, one could never hope to gain recognition from the majority. Applause, flowers, and honor belonged only to the victors, while a single victor stood on the shoulders of 99, or even 999 or 9,999 losers.

Lin Yu was still wandering in his dreamworld, the noise and bustle of that summer echoing in his ears. Repeating a year of school, and then suddenly deciding to take the arts exam to apply for the drama academy, this decision caused no small earthquake in an engineering family. His grandfather was an architect, his father was an engineer, and unexpectedly, the son wanted to become a star!

Although he had learned street dance since childhood, he had received no systematic training in vocal music, and his piano skills were half-baked. Lin Yu put in a tremendous amount of effort to pass the professional examination. As for his family’s thoughts, that required time to change.

Over the past two years, as he gradually carved out a bit of fame, his most stubborn father had passed away, so he rarely faced criticism from his family anymore. One mother, one sister, both cherished him like the apple of their eye. When it came to coaxing women, he had always been skilled.

The next day, he went to work at Sing Tide as usual, that’s right, going to work! Sing Tide Entertainment differed in model from other entertainment companies; the artists under its banner all had white-board schedules. If there was a drama to shoot, they were on the set; if participating in a variety show, they were at the TV station, their destinations had to be clearly indicated across the board. The rest who were free clocked in and worked normally, and their work content could be agreed upon with their managers: practicing singing, practicing dancing, taking acting classes, or assisting with publicity. Every single artist brought out from Sing Tide Entertainment was all-around capable, which was not unrelated to this policy.

Emerging from the recording studio, Lin Yu sauntered over to the floor where the labor union was located.

Since it was work, naturally there was a labor union. Although its functions overlapped with the public relations and publicity department, it still had to organize two union-branded events a year.

“Oh, big star, what wind blew you over here?” Union President Sister Li stood up from behind her large office desk.

In an entertainment company, people were divided into three classes. The first class consisted of those who were exceptionally tactful and slick, having both the corresponding status and being favorites before the boss, everyone respected and flattered them. Another class comprised those with high qualifications but a naturally cold disposition; they were easily marginalized and could only rely on chance, slowly integrating or leaving completely. Meanwhile, those with the best interpersonal relationships belonged to the middle class, being neither overly prominent to arouse jealousy nor self-righteously aloof, capable of swimming with the current, such as Lin Yu.

Lin Yu handed over the coffee and cake in his hand, “I came to bring afternoon tea to Sister Li.”

“You and your sweet mouth!” Sister Li took the tea and snacks, giving him an affectionate glare. “No wonder Shiyue still harbors lingering affection for you.” Sister Li and Jiang Shiyue were close friends and besties.

Lin Yu did not take the bait regarding “lingering affection,” asking, “What are you busy with?”

“What else if not the year-end union event?” Sister Li guided him to sit down on the sofa. “If we don’t hold it, it won’t do; if we do hold it, it offends people. Every single one of you is a busy person, doing variety shows, taking interviews, making money by the minute. I understand you don’t have the patience to deal with these superficial gestures, but what choice do I have? There are instructions from above.” Sister Li rarely found a suitable person to vent her grievances to.

“My coming here is also for this matter. I have several engagements at the end of the year, so don’t let the schedules clash. I wouldn’t want Sister Li to misunderstand that I didn’t want to participate if I end up missing the event later.” Lin Yu revealed a sly smile. The corners of his eyes tilted upward, making his smile always carry a trace of enchantment.

“Don’t go unleashing your charm on me; Shiyue will scratch me later.” Sister Li chuckled heartily. “The schedule isn’t even in sight yet, not even the type of event has been decided.”

“Just please don’t do those same old three things again; last year I drank until I vomited.” Lin Yu also sighed.

Sister Li was even more worried than him: “Then what else? It needs to be mainstream enough for everyone to participate, yet challenging enough to rank first, second, and third place. For you arts workers, if not competing in singing and dancing, what else would you compete in?”

Lin Yu helped furrow his brows in thought, “How about… sports? Something both men and women are good at, with a not-too-high entry barrier. How about running? Let’s host a company-sponsored marathon.”

Sister Li gave him a white-eyed glance, “Do you want to block traffic?” Yet her thinking unconsciously followed the direction he suggested. “Hmm, holding a tennis tournament could work… No, the threshold for tennis is a bit high. Badminton! Right! A badminton tournament is the most suitable!” Sister Li clapped her hands. “Both men and women can play, the threshold isn’t high, and it fits the theme of ‘Sports and Fitness Year’.”

“A badminton tournament? That’s actually a good idea.” Lin Yu curled the corners of his mouth, nodding along. “Sister still thinks more thoroughly. However, you need to post an announcement in the work group early for this matter. Some big shots are too busy; notifying them in advance allows them to practice early, otherwise if they make a fool of themselves on the spot, they’ll blame you again.”

“Only you can appreciate the difficulty of our position.” Sister Li patted Lin Yu on the shoulder, expressing her heartfelt emotion.