Chapter Ninety-Four: She Was Chasing Me All Along

Very fun, very relaxing.

After Li Xiyan listened to the sample Lin Ze gave her by the sea, the last trace of anxiety in her heart had vanished. Sitting there, she returned to her usual self.

“Seeing the lives of a few seniors has made me want to fall in love a little, too.”

[I! Li Xiyan! I’m available!]

[You dare hit my brother, you damn...]

[Is she really going to date someone? As an idol fan, that would be impressive.]

Beside her, Chen Nan answered shyly, “It’s very happy to be able to see several veteran seniors on the program. I used to watch their dramas and listen to their songs all the time, so meeting them in person is a great honor.”

“Really? You spent the whole day out with Xiao Lin, and I didn’t see you looking especially honored to see us,” Chen Weiguo teased.

Chen Nan’s face immediately turned red, and he didn’t know how to respond.

“Chen Nan keeps it all in his heart. He’s just not good with words,” Li Xiyan quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

“We all know that the two of you are among the rare truly skilled singers of the new generation, and one of our resident guests, Lin Ze, is also a singer of real ability.”

“So I wonder how the two of you view Lin Ze as a singer?”

What came next was naturally the mutual praise segment.

“At first, I thought Lin Ze was a very impressive singer, but later I no longer thought that way,” Chen Nan answered earnestly.

Director Zhang found this a little strange. “Why is that? Did your view of Lin Ze change after you got to know him?”

“No, no, no.” Chen Nan shook his head. “Only later did I realize that compared with Lin Ze, how could I even count as a singer...”

“...”

Lin Ze could feel goosebumps rising all over him.

Unable to hold back, he said quietly from the side, “If you had spent even half this effort on other people, no one would ever say you lack charm.”

The “person” in question was right beside him, stifling a laugh and blushing, but when it was her turn to speak, Li Xiyan answered sincerely.

“Indeed, Lin Ze is a very powerful songwriter and singer. Among our new generation, no one can compare with him.”

“Please, don’t say that, please don’t.” Lin Ze waved his hands repeatedly. “The current number one on the new songs chart is still Brother Nan.”

“That’s still thanks to your lyrics and music...”

Just as the business of mutual flattery was about to begin again—

“No more praise, no more praise.” Director Zhang glanced at the time and cut them off. It was time to move on to the next activity.

This week of living together had already passed, and the week was now coming to a close. Which pair would be willing to tell their story?

The others looked at one another, and Zhao Funing and Pei Xue raised their hands.

“We’ll do it,” Zhao Funing said.

“Good! Brother Zhao! Raise high the banner of the live-in husband!”

Lin Ze clapped hard, leading everyone in applause.

This was Zhao Funing’s first comeback after marrying and leaving the industry. Before that, he had been an actor with the potential to contend for Best Actor.

It was a pity, truly—a man so dashing, no less charming than Lin Ze, who had retired simply because he got married.

“Then allow me a little narcissism here. When I first met Pei Xue, everyone should still remember me—I was filming Twelve Years Hunting the Killer back then.”

Zhao Funing sat by the table and recalled that year’s self.

“At the time, with my face and acting, I was dazzling enough to outshine everyone else.”

“The last actor who could threaten me was Brother Chen, but by then Brother Chen was already old, so in terms of looks he definitely couldn’t compare with me.”

[Boo...]

[Boo what? It’s the truth. Back then there weren’t nearly so many traffic idols, and Zhao Funing attracted an entire generation of young girls with that face alone.]

[True. My mom liked Zhao Funing a lot back then. We still have several stacks of his calendars at home.]

“And then Miss Pei Xue was also filming in our crew at the time. She played a young woman who sold alcohol to earn tuition.”

“Many of you may not have seen that film, because it was honestly a little dull.”

As Zhao Funing spoke, he glanced sideways at Pei Xue. Through the haze in his eyes, he seemed to glimpse the girl she had been back then.

“When your Sister Xue acted, one lift of her eyes was enough to stir pity in people’s hearts—just one look, and you felt she was the kind of person who probably wouldn’t even secretly pick her nose.”

Pei Xue was eating while listening, and when she heard Zhao Funing say that, the spicy side dish nearly shot straight down her throat.

“Cough, cough... cough, cough, cough...”

Her face turned red from coughing. Zhao Funing hurriedly took his ice beer and put it in her hand, then reached over to pat her back.

“Oh my, yes, she would, she would...”

Pei Xue couldn’t help laughing again. She gave him an exasperated smack. “Get lost. You’re the one who picks his nose.”

“Hahaha.” Zhao Funing rubbed her back for her and then continued.

“Actually, at first it was just a coworker relationship. She didn’t have many scenes, and she was pretty aloof too. Apart from filming, we barely spoke at all.”

Everyone listened with great interest, who knew that Zhao Funing would suddenly turn to Chen Nan.

“At the time, Chen Nan and I had pretty similar personalities—we were both a little socially anxious. Even though I thought that girl was quite pretty, I didn’t add her myself.”

Zhao Funing let out a strange little smile. “Later... we ran into each other on several other sets, and that’s when I realized...”

“She joined the production with capital behind her! All for the sake of chasing me! Oh, this woman...”

“What chasing you? You’re so full of yourself!” Pei Xue’s face carried the bashful shyness of a young girl.

That glance seemed to carry them back to those years.

The people watching nearby were all a little stunned. Ji Chen was somewhat dazed, and Lin Chunshui secretly pinched him hard under the table.

“Weren’t you the one who said that when you confessed to me?” Zhao Funing muttered softly.

“You still say that!”

Pei Xue, embarrassed and angry, slapped Zhao Funing on the thigh.

“Back then, who wasn’t chasing stars? I just wanted to go in, get a closer look at him, and maybe ask for an autograph.”

“Who knew that after playing one role, I’d become famous.”

The way Pei Xue said it was absurdly modest, drawing a wave of teasing all around them.

“Later... actually, I didn’t want him to leave the industry, but something happened at that time...”

The old matter was brought up again.

Many of those present knew about it.

[I know a bit about this. That day, Zhao Funing was drugged, but thankfully he was found in time.]

[No, no, the above isn’t the full story. Although Zhao Funing was fine, the one who was taken away was Sister Pei.]

[Really? Nothing serious happened, did it?]

“That fan was extremely deranged,” Pei Xue said, still shaken even now.

“Everyone probably knows I was the one who was kidnapped, but what you probably don’t know is that...”

“When the police found me, the noose had already been tied around my neck. If the police hadn’t arrived so quickly, I might have been hanged to death at the filming location of Twelve Years Hunting the Killer.”