Who Wants to Be the Affectionate Cannon Fodder?! [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 53

The personal studios of several actors from The Breaking Array Song all released wrap-up photos that evening.

Jiang Shiyan had just finished dinner with his parents and was leaning boredly against a redwood chair. As he casually scrolled through Weibo, a trending notification popped up at the top of his screen. The topic #The Breaking Array Song Wraps# held the top spot on the trending list. Jiang Shiyan frowned and clicked on the photos in the real-time feed, where he saw a face that was both familiar and strange.

In the photo, Shen Xingzhuo stood in a desolate mountain wilderness, clutching a long sword as the autumn wind swept through his robes. His striking face was turned slightly back, and his lowered eyelids masked a sense of melancholy and loss, adding a touch of fragility that made him look like a fallen immortal. Jiang Shiyan watched, somewhat entranced, and involuntarily recalled the brief eye contact they had shared on set that day.

He had once treated Shen Xingzhuo as a substitute for Ning Jinghe, thinking it would not matter if he discarded him, but that was clearly not the case. What he could not ignore even more was a picture below the trending topic taken by a paparazzi outside the restaurant, showing Ning Jinghe and Shen Xingzhuo leaving early.

The paparazzi must have been the reincarnation of a fan-fiction writer, as the caption was written in a way that was incredibly ambiguous and vivid. It described how tenderly Ning Jinghe held Shen Xingzhuo as they walked out of the restaurant and how affectionately he comforted and flirted with him. An event that lasted less than five minutes was fabricated into a thousand-word romance; it was a waste of talent for that writer not to be writing novels.

[Leaving early again? They went out together last time too. They could not really be dating, could they? P.S. The writing is terrible. Take more photos and write less.]

[Shen Xingzhuo looks so obedient here, a tiny thing leaning into Ning Jinghe’s arms. The way Ning Jinghe looks at him is definitely not innocent. Who else is “shipping” them, haha?]

[I heard Shen Xingzhuo actually finished his scenes a long time ago, but he has been staying with the crew and is always seen with Ning Jinghe, like conjoined twins.]

[CP fans upstairs, use your brains. Stop spreading rumors here. Take Shen Xingzhuo away, he is not available.]

[Is it possible that the fansites have the most authority? Here are photos from a fansite two days ago. Shen Xingzhuo was following right behind Ning Jinghe after work like a little puppy. [Image] [Image]]

The paparazzi’s photos were taken from a tricky angle. Under the streetlights, both of their figures were blurred, and one could only vaguely see Ning Jinghe’s hand resting on Shen Xingzhuo’s waist. However, the photos taken by the fansites were crystal clear, especially Shen Xingzhuo’s focused gaze on Ning Jinghe, with eyes clear and bright like morning stars.

That was the sparkle that originally belonged to Shen Xingzhuo when he looked at Jiang Shiyan. This realization caused an unprecedented sense of unease and irritability, especially seeing their seamless intimacy, which sparked an indescribable flare of anger. Just then, a new update appeared on the Weibo trending list.

#Ning Jinghe Follows Shen Xingzhuo#

“Ha,” Jiang Shiyan sneered, his finger brushing roughly across the screen several times.

[? Why did you only follow him now? Did you two not go out holding hands hundreds of years ago?]

[Not just holding hands, they were all lovey-dovey on that survival variety show. I have repeatedly watched the part where Shen Xingzhuo cried out in pain, though that was the edited fan version on another site.]

[Thank you for the link, do not make me beg. But is it possible that with Ning Jinghe’s “closet romantic” personality, they are already very intimate in private and are just now making it public?]

[Speaking of which, have you noticed that after all this time, Shen Xingzhuo has not followed him back yet? @ShenXingzhuo, baby, what are you doing?]

Jiang Shiyan followed the prompt and clicked into Shen Xingzhuo’s Weibo. His profile was unexpectedly clean, containing only a few business promotions and very few selfies. His following count was not even a hundred, but Jiang Shiyan knew that the first person on that list must be himself.

Perhaps out of an impulse, or perhaps as a deliberate provocation, Jiang Shiyan tapped the screen and followed Shen Xingzhuo back. He looked with satisfaction as the “Follow” button turned into “Mutual Following.”

“What are you looking at? Did your new song sales break another record?” Jiang Shiyan’s father walked to his side with a water glass. Jiang Shiyan instinctively hid the screen and replied, “Nothing, just some unimportant entertainment gossip.”

His father did not ask further, only saying, “I am visiting your Uncle Ning tomorrow. You are coming with me.”

Jiang Shiyan shifted his finger and glanced at the new messages on the screen. With tens of millions of followers, his every move was under scrutiny. That light tap of a button soon triggered a massive wave of speculation and discussion, and the related topic shot up the trending list, pressing close to Ning Jinghe’s.

Seeing that Jiang Shiyan did not respond, his father urged him again, “I am asking you, are you going or not?”

Jiang Shiyan’s eyes flashed, and he replied casually, “Fine.”

The moment the words left his mouth, a flash of shock appeared on Jiang Shiyan’s face. What was once the meeting he had dreamed of now failed to spark even a bit of interest.

The first thing Yu Lin saw when he woke up was Zhou Yao’s face, crouching by the bed and peeking at him. His sudden eye-opening gave the crouching Zhou Yao a massive fright. With a cry of “Aiyoh,” Zhou Yao fell back onto the floor.

“Why are you here?” Yu Lin sat up, pulling back the duvet. His gaze swept the room and landed on Ning Jinghe, who was already fully dressed on the sofa.

“Did the shoot not wrap yesterday?” Zhou Yao quietly observed Yu Lin’s expression and found that, just as Ning Jinghe had said, he had mostly recovered. He spoke truthfully, “I am here to take you back.”

“Mhm.” Yu Lin did not answer him directly. Instead, he got out of bed, walked toward Ning Jinghe, and asked, “Are you going back too, Ning Ge?”

Ning Jinghe moved his eyes from the book in his hand and looked up at Yu Lin, though his gaze flickered slightly. “I am planning to visit home. I will be leaving in a bit.”

Yu Lin understood his meaning. Ning Jinghe did not live with his parents after returning to the country. He likely only saw them at the beginning and had been busy returning favors and attending events since then. By saying this, he was probably worried that Yu Lin would misunderstand and think he had called Zhou Yao over because he was impatient to kick him out.

I can actually understand such subtle meanings now, Yu Lin could not help but marvel. System 007 remained silent, though it also found it strange.

“Then let’s go back,” Yu Lin said.

Yu Lin dragged his slippers and entered the bathroom to wash up with practiced ease, showing no signs of being a stranger, as if he had already mastered everything here. Zhou Yao, following behind, felt his eyebrows twitching. He suddenly felt like the messenger sent by the Queen Mother.

Zhou Yao shook his head vigorously to clear the messy thoughts from his brain and changed the subject. “Speaking of which, Xingzhuo, have you seen the trending topics from last night?”

Yu Lin tilted his head with a mouth full of foam. “What trending topics?”

Zhou Yao thoughtfully handed over his phone, placing it on the rack in front of him. Yu Lin scrolled through casually. When he saw #Jiang Shiyan Follows Shen Xingzhuo Back#, he subconsciously frowned and mumbled, “What kind of nerve does he have?”

Gargle, gargle, spit.

Accompanied by the sound of him rinsing his mouth, his disgust was very expressive.

“Who knows what kind of trouble he is trying to stir up again.” Zhou Yao also gave a disdainful “Pah,” then suddenly remembered something. He pointed toward the living room and lowered his voice. “That person. I figured you were probably asleep last night, so I logged into your account and followed him back.”

Yu Lin did not say anything. He took a handful of water, splashed his face like a cat washing itself, rubbed it clean, and then buried his face in a towel to roughly soak up the water. By the time he changed his clothes, Ning Jinghe’s manager had also arrived.

He watched Ning Jinghe close his book and cast a look his way. After brooding for a while, Ning Jinghe finally said, “Then I will be going first.”

Yu Lin nodded. “Goodbye, Ning Ge.”

Not expecting such a simple farewell, Ning Jinghe felt unexpectedly disappointed. But just as he was about to head out the door, Yu Lin suddenly called out to him. Ning Jinghe turned back in confusion and saw him shaking his phone, showing his Weibo homepage.

Ning Jinghe took out his phone. Yu Lin’s finger tapped on the screen a few times, and the next second, several new notifications appeared on Ning Jinghe’s phone.

[@ShenXingzhuo unfollowed you]

[Your follow @ShenXingzhuo followed you.]

“There, now you can go.”

Ning Jinghe put away his phone and could not help but chuckle softly. “You really are,” he thought, cute.

Ning Jinghe’s parents liked lively places, so they chose a residence next to the largest seaside park in Lucheng. The area was lined with taverns, and the park downstairs was busy with people from morning to night. Jiang Shiyan had just sat down on the sofa with his father. Before his father’s tea was even brewed, the sound of the door opening came from the entrance.

He locked eyes with Ning Jinghe, who was dragging a suitcase. The latter frowned, and the words he was about to say froze on his lips. After a few seconds, he reacted and gave a lukewarm greeting before saying to his father, “Dad, I am back.”

Jiang Shiyan rubbed his interlaced fingers, his heart feeling an unexpected calm. The person before him was the face he had dreamed of in his youth, but at this moment, he felt no ripples. He even thought of the scenes where Ning Jinghe was with another person.

“It has been so long. Jinghe has become even more handsome, haha. Come sit. It has been a long time since you two saw each other. Have a chat.”

Ning Jinghe looked at his father. Seeing him nod in agreement, he pushed the suitcase into a corner and walked over to his father’s side. “I will brew the tea. You go sit,” Ning Jinghe said, signaling for his father to swap seats with him.

The two middle-aged men huddled together, talking about business trivialities. One moment they talked about market gossip, and the next they talked about which policy support to take advantage of. Jiang Shiyan was not interested in these things. After all, someone else managed the family business; he was just a dream-chasing second-generation heir.

However, the atmosphere of mutual silence did not suit him either. Before Ning Jinghe returned to the country, he had always thought of countless conversation starters to break the ice, but now he lacked interest. It was not because they had not seen each other for a long time, but because his feelings for Ning Jinghe truly did not have that old heat anymore.

“How was the shoot?” Jiang Shiyan eventually picked a random topic to break their silence. “I saw the trending topics yesterday; it seems you wrapped up.”

As soon as he mentioned yesterday, Ning Jinghe thought of the trending topic about him following Shen Xingzhuo back. He lifted his eyelids and scanned him coldly, replying, “Mhm, it was fine.”

In the past, Ning Jinghe’s icy manner would have surely sparked a strong desire in Jiang Shiyan to conquer him. Now, however, he found it utterly boring. The game of sticking a warm face to a cold backside did not suit him after all.

“I went to visit the set that day. I heard Director Li Rui say that you and Shen Xingzhuo collaborated quite well. Lately, the trending topics are all about the two of you. So, you are getting along well?”

It was more than just well. The private invitation to Lucheng First High School, the hand-holding at the school gate, the affectionate gazes during filming, and the inseparable closeness after wrapping up. For several moments, Jiang Shiyan felt it was Shen Xingzhuo’s revenge for being treated as a substitute.

But Jiang Shiyan thought maliciously, How could I let Shen Xingzhuo have his way? If Ning Jinghe knew that Shen Xingzhuo had once pursued him so passionately and that his purpose for getting close was not pure, what kind of expression would he make?

“It is indeed very good,” Ning Jinghe said. He pressed the lid of the teapot, poured the tea into the cups, and handed them to the three men one by one.

The television suddenly cut to a commercial. A person leaped out of the water. Fair and slender hands brushed away messy hair, revealing a smooth forehead and a pair of sparkling eyes. Water droplets clung to his lashes. He tremulously lifted his eyelids to lock eyes with the camera. It was a skincare commercial Shen Xingzhuo had filmed a long time ago.

Jiang Shiyan’s thoughts suddenly became chaotic as Shen Xingzhuo looked toward the camera. His heartbeat raced out of control, and even his breathing became more hurried. It was undeniable that Shen Xingzhuo’s physical appearance hit all his aesthetic marks.

Once he quickly organized his thoughts and turned to look at Ning Jinghe, he found that an unnatural expression had also flashed across his face. His focused gaze was withdrawn from the screen, and his brow was furrowed quite tightly.

“Ha.”

Although he did not understand that last expression, Jiang Shiyan confirmed his feelings without surprise. Very interesting, Jiang Shiyan thought through gritted teeth.

“Oh?” Jiang Shiyan’s father also had his attention drawn. He marveled, “This young lad looks a bit like Jinghe. If I had not seen the name, I would have thought… so he is Shen Xingzhuo?”

Ning Jinghe looked over in confusion. “Do you know him, Uncle?”

“I feel like I have heard the name somewhere.” His father frowned, trying hard to remember, but with no luck, he gave up. “Never mind.”

Ning Jinghe’s father joked, “You actually pay attention to these things? All these actors look the same to me.”

“It is only Shiyan’s mother who likes them. I do not recognize many. There was a little actor who pursued Shiyan for a long time. His mother mentioned it several times, but I forgot it as soon as I heard it.” His father suddenly gave Jiang Shiyan a push. “Oh, how are things going with that little actor?”

Jiang Shiyan looked at Ning Jinghe. Seeing him take a sip of tea unconcernedly, that malicious intent in his heart began to stir again. His smile was eerie, and his tone carried a provocation he had not noticed himself. “He has been throwing a tantrum lately and does not want to see me. He has also played many tricks to try and get my attention.”

Ning Jinghe’s hand holding the tea paused. He felt a bit uncomfortable with this tone that seemed to be describing a pet.

“But with his personality, once he has had enough fun outside, he will always come back. Just like a dog we raise at home; once he is set on someone, no matter how much he acts out, he will not run away.”

His father did not expect such a grand boast. He gave Ning Jinghe’s father an embarrassed look and slapped Jiang Shiyan on the back, scolding him, “You brat, stop showing off your philandering ways in front of your Uncle Ning and Jinghe.”

Jiang Shiyan just smiled and did not argue.

“My son is not as worry-free as Jinghe, haha.” His father glared at him, then turned to ask Ning Jinghe, “But Jinghe is almost at that age. Do you have someone you like?”

Ning Jinghe glanced at the television screen and his gaze fell back into the teacup. He stared at the floating tea leaves and thought for a while, as if struggling with something. After half a minute, he broke the frozen atmosphere. “There is someone I like.”

His father’s eyes widened in curiosity. Shocked, he asked repeatedly, “When did this happen? How come I did not know? What do they do? How old are they?”

Ning Jinghe glanced at his father and slowly exhaled. “A colleague, younger than me.”

Jiang Shiyan tapped his teacup, looked up, and said darkly, “What a coincidence. He is your colleague, too.”