Editor: Amaris

Here was the thing.

Once «Devotion» was screened, it set off a huge sensation in the Spring Festival.

Even though the theme was controversial, it couldn’t affect Ren Jing’s great popularity—which was enough to keep the audience curious even when he acted in a non-mainstream movie.

The spectators went to the cinema curiously and were immediately charmed by the movie.

It was initially a sad theme. With the actors’ great acting skills, the ending made the girls cry until their eyes turned red, and the boys who accompanied them also bawled their eyes out so much that their hands and feet turned numb. The cinema became very lively as a result.

Each of them passed word-of-mouth about the movie. Even though it didn’t give much publicity to the movie, it still caused a great sensation.

After the excitement passed, countless media tried to interview them.

Ye Chen didn’t feel like answering them, so he rejected all the interviews.

Later, Ren Jing told him, “Let’s go together on this one.”

Ye Chen took a look, and… Oh, it was a media owned by a company in which Ren Jing was a controlling shareholder, they were quite influential, he might as well go—he wasn’t thinking much at that time.

The instant Ye Chen agreed, their assistants began to make the arrangements.

The interview was broadcasted live to a web portal, resulting in a heavy traffic to the site that day. The technicians had to work overtime to keep the site from going down with all their might, it was indescribably painful for them.

Ye Chen didn’t take it too seriously at first since he thought he only needed to strictly follow the manuscript. He simply smiled all the way.

In fact, the interview went steadily with the young interviewers guiding them. They were asked about interesting incidents when they were shooting the movie.

Ye Chen’s answers were remarkable and pretty amusing. The atmosphere was harmonious and delightful, it was great.

The situation went on until the host cracked a joke. “Your acting skills are so great that you have performed in such outstanding manner in the movie. Because of that, some of our internet friends are curious about your relationship in private. Some even think that you two like each other.”

The host laughed after saying so. It was right for him to ask that question, since they could refute the rumor that way. They were acting in a movie with a same-gender theme, so it was okay for the host to ask them that question so they could prove their sexual orientations.

In the end, Movie King Ren smiled faintly, then threw a ‘huge torpedo’. “I truly like Ye Chen.”

The instant he finished his words, the whole TV studio stopped still for a second. Even Ye Chen opened his eyes wide in surprise.

Not only the studio, even the live viewers all turned frozen. Afterwards, hundreds of millions of people all over the country could only curse ‘what the fuck’ relentlessly inside their heart.

The host could sense the great crisis. He hurriedly replied, “That’s for sure, otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to work together. You seem to be very good friends in private.”

His words made sense. ‘Like’, wasn’t it…? Liking friends is also counted as like!

Being ‘guided’ by the host, the viewers began to think the same way too.

However, Movie King Ren had decided not to let the melon-eating spectators get away today, he just had to stuff them up until full they almost burst.

He simply said, “We’re not good friends.”

The host, “!!!”

Ye Chen’s heart thumped wildly. He looked at Ren Jing with his cheeks slightly flushed.

Ren Jing also looked at him. As the two looked at each other, pink bubbles were spreading all over the whole world through the camera.

Ren Jing’s voice was so tender and sentimental that it made countless girls and guys who heard him feel half of their body turning weak and numb.

“We’re dating.”

Rumble!

It was truly a bombshell!

The host’s forehead was covered in cold sweat all over. He faked a laugh for a long time before saying, “Haha, Movie King Ren is so humorous for cracking such a joke…”

The host couldn’t keep the conversation going anymore. Who the hell could believe that these two…these two…

Ye Chen felt really sorry for the host since he seemed to have been ‘hounded to death’. Still, he said where he stood. “It’s not a joke, we’re truly dating.”

!!!!

All the viewers throughout the country had collectively exploded into fireworks. Fortunately, it wasn’t night time, otherwise the night sky would have turned to day because of the fireworks!

Li Fu had also come to the interview. He had completely turned into a big fool that he couldn’t utter even a word!

Since they had thrown such a huge bombshell, it was only natural that Ren Jing and Ye Chen had left earlier using a special passage in order to avoid the crowd of reporters cornering and blocking them.

After getting in the car, Ren Jing apologized to Ye Chen, “I’m sorry.”

Ye Chen blinked. “For what?”

Ren Jing replied, “I’ve told everyone about us without asking for your permission first.”

Ye Chen chuckled. “Dating isn’t something for us to hide.”

Ren Jing looked at him, then he said, “From now on, you’re mine alone.”

Ye Chen’s eyes were in a curve as he smiled delightfully and sweetly.

Ren Jing gave Ye Chen a kiss, then said again, “If you leave me, my fans are going to crowd your door.”

Ye Chen gazed at him, then said, “I think your fans are already crowding my house now.”

Ren Jing, “Don’t worry, my fans will certainly be able to accept my lover.”

Ye Chen, “That might not be true. They’re probably thinking of chopping me up.”

Ren Jing had turned unusually childish when he said, “Then they’re not my fans.”

Ye Chen was so overwhelmed with joy that he couldn’t stop smiling.

Ren Jing didn’t hold back, either. He took Ye Chen into his arms, then imprinted another kiss on him carefully.

Ye Chen laughed heartily as he said, “Don’t…don’t do that, it tickles so much…”

His voice was so sweet and soft that Ren Jing had almost ‘executed’ him in the car.

Ren Jing coming out of the closet in public had caused a great sensation, but he had been prepared since a long time ago. The studio had started the public opinion guidance before someone tried to make the situation worse.

Ren Jing’s Weibo was blown up and Ye Chen’s Weibo couldn’t be accessed. The whole internet was discussing it.

Let alone the other thing, the box office sales of «Devotion» had tripled, so much that the large cinemas increased the number of the movie’s showings consecutively. Even those who had watched it once would watch it again for the second and third time.

Why would they watch so many times?

Because it felt like watching a brand new movie after knowing that the lead actors were lovers!

The girls didn’t take their husbands anymore and agreed to watch the movie with their close friends instead: those who were ‘heartbroken’ ended up crying loudly in pain after watching the movie; those who were ‘inspecting’ the bromance all this while felt ‘envious’ after watching the movie and ended up laughing mischievously together.

After the news broke the media, it was inevitable that there would be some bad public opinions. Some criticized that homosexuality was disgusting, some said that gay people deserved to die, some even said that these bunch of homosexuals should consume a ‘human pill’…

However, the era had changed. Same-gender marriage had also been legalized in country Z. These ‘criticisms’ could only be regarded as hate speech.

Love was something that involved two people and a matter of two families trying their best to ‘expand’ themselves. What right did strangers have to make irresponsible remarks about them?

As for the ‘human pill’ remarks, it was simply ridiculous.

Could it be that just because people of same-gender got married, the heterosexuals wouldn’t be able to get married and give birth to children anymore?

There was simply no logic to that.

In the end of the excitement, contrary to what people expected, the fangirls were dominating the top popular search on the internet with ‘I could only wish I was born a man’, which was very amusing.

Ye Chen’s life wasn’t affected much after the sensation.

Firstly, his house… The fans couldn’t catch him there.

Secondly, Ye Chen and Ren Jing were already semi-retired. They didn’t depend on this job to make a living, either. So, it didn’t matter to them what kind of public opinions were out there.

The melon-eating spectators had eaten fully to their hearts’ content thanks to the excitement.

In the middle of the year, the clamor after the two had come out of the closet to the public had just died down when another news suddenly exploded in popular search.

[Ren Jing and Ye Chen had decided to hold their grand wedding in the dream-like Tahiti.]

They were truly getting married! They weren’t coming out of the closet just to hype the box office! They were…they…

Ahhh… The whole internet turned wild again for a few days. There was someone who went to Tahiti on holidays and got to secretly snap a few pictures. When they were posted online, another ‘storm’ brewed up on the internet.

It was a romantic wedding held in a place said to be closest to paradise.

The scene of the two who were looking at each other affectionately turned into an everlasting beauty.

Most people would be very busy and feel exhausted on their wedding, but Ye Chen purely felt happy and content.

The main reason was because there were so many people bustling about for the preparations. Mother Ye and Ren Jing took complete charge of everything in full swing. Ye Chen couldn’t chip in at all.

Father Gu had taken care of the hotel (Shen Jiaze was the one who paid for it), he could be said to be rich and imposing! Sir Prosperous Shen scattered money like water for the sake of his ‘wife’ and lost a few tens of millions in one go. He can’t even blink after that.

Yu Xingzhe took care of some of the trivial things. He wasn’t especially good at them, but he had SUN with him, he could entrust these to him. With them taking care of these, would there still be any careless mistakes? Not even until their next life.

All that was left for Ye Chen to do was to choose his suit. But actually, he didn’t even need to take care of that. Yu Xingzhe’s fashion sense was absolutely vicious, whatever he chose for Ye Chen would definitely be the very, absolute best!

Xiao Liu asked happily, “Brother Chen, am I really allowed to take my parents with me to Tahiti?”

Ye Chen replied, “Don’t forget to take your mother-in-law along, too.” Xiao Liu’s wife’s mother was a single parent, her father had passed away long ago.

Xiao Liu was so moved he nearly cried as he said, “Brother Chen!”

Ye Chen poked him. “You’re gonna look more virtuous in front of your elders soon.” Recently, he always raised his voice whenever he talked, showing that he was just so happy.

Before leaving, Ye Chen also told Xiao Liu to take the kitten along.

This was what Death System urged him to do. It said, “Take Qu Qu along, too. Make a tiny suit for it, it must be so handsome it could blow up the sky! It represents me! Put it in the families’ seat, you hear me!?”

Ye Chen, “…”

What else could Ye Chen do but to spoil it?

The scene of the wedding ceremony’s MC carrying the kitten from the start to finish was really joyful to look at.

The wedding ceremony was romantic and marvelous. Mother Ye had done three days of preparations, yet she still ended up crying so much on the wedding day that all of her make-up smeared. It wasn’t because of the feeling of marrying her son off, it was just…just…too moving.

Thinking about Ye Chen and Ren Jing’s fate, those who had learned the truth could only feel happy and moved because of them.

Director Li was also invited to the wedding. He only sent a big, big red packet for them.

Why? Because he felt guilty! Up until now, this block-headed and straight director still thought that the two became a pair because of his movie. He thought that the lead actors had gone too deep into their characters that they had turned bent from straight (he was thinking too much).

After the wedding ceremony had finished, it was a seaside party.

The beautiful scenery of the heaven on earth added up with the locals dancing enthusiastically made everyone’s cheery mood and happiness reach its peak. Ren Jing and Ye Chen who hugged each other amidst the dazzling fireworks had received heartfelt blessings from everyone.

Loving mutually, staying together, and accompanying each other for a lifetime.

Nothing could surpass their love, and they had gotten everything they ever wished for in their lives.

All story (text) completed.

***

Later, Director Li was also invited to Gu Xi and Shen Jiaze’s wedding, and the same went for Yu Xingzhe and SUN’s wedding.

After spending a huge amount of money thrice, Director Li began to doubt that his movie had a curse.

Why do the leading actors and even the supporting actors have all turned bent!?

The author has something to say:

Note: The setting of same-gender marriage being legalized in China in this novel is just fictional.

All of the stories have been completed! Thank you everyone for the support! I’m deeply grateful!

I have a lot to say, but ended up not knowing what I should say after they reached my lips. In short… I truly loved all of you! Smooches!

Since this story has concluded, I’ll write a new one soon.

We’re not saying goodbye yet!

I’ll promote my new novel for a bit: “Don’t Be Scared, I’m Just Dissing You”. It’s an e-sports novel. The pair is an Adonis shou making a comeback x a psychotic demon filled with jealousy who turned into a puppy and pampered his ‘wife’ gong. The gong is Ye Chen’s (younger) cousin (from his uncle’s side). The novel would be filled with a lot of ‘tension’. Those who haven’t played the game would totally be able to understand, I simply wanted to write about a bunch of hot-blooded youngsters who are braving the wind and the waves, not scared of the ups and downs in life, and chasing their dreams relentlessly! Those who are interested might want to click/tap on that special column below the author’s name: Bookmark, hahaha! Ah, it’d be better if you could also bookmark the author, hehehe.

There is a poll in Weibo (my name is Jinjiang Long Qi there, not Long Ran, hahaha) of a self-published printed book for “If You Don’t Fall in Love, You’ll Die”. Those who want to grab a copy could cast your vote there! Bowing my thanks!

T/N: Wrote a kinda afterword here. Be warned though, it’s very lengthy and consisted of mostly babbling and incoherent thoughts put in words (probably) LOL. Thank you so much for everything all this while! Hope you enjoyed the journey until here.