Don’t Be a Kept Man

Chapter 83: Nibbling on Melon Seeds Still Won’t Nibble Out Your CP

The news of Chen Yi’s contract with GE ending had already been released to the public. All of his fans who heard of it immediately clapped their hands with glee, hoping he would find a better company. 

Partially for possible future profit and partially because of a discreet “suggestion” from Fu Xiu Nian, Happy Star Entertainment extended an olive branch to Chen Yi. A few other companies had also offered some favourable conditions, but as Happy Star Ent. was the most generous and Fu Xiu Nian was an artist under HS, after a bit of consideration, Chen Yi signed on to HS.

The celebrity manager he was assigned to after his move was called An Ruo Yun, and she was a female who looked quite quiet and calm. The artists she had managed before were perhaps not the most popular, but they definitely stepped on some of the most stable career paths. Bringing her on to manage Chen Yi must have been a point of consideration from HS.

“An-Jie’s personality is quite nice. At least she won’t fight with you.”

Fu Xiu Nian spilled out the truth with this one line, and then he laughed at his own words. After all, more than half of the entertainment industry knew that Chen Yi had an explosive temper, being more inclined to listen to soft spoken advice than to firm, cold cut orders. HS was probably afraid that having a manager who couldn’t contain their impulsiveness would start a fight with Chen Yi and leave a bad taste in everyone’s mouths.

Chen Yi was currently removing the wrapping from his new furniture. After the multiple incidents of the paparazzi stalking his community gate, his address had been pretty much exposed. Chen Yi was still in the middle of his rise in fame, and out of concern for his own safety, he decided to move to a new home.

Coincidentally, it was in the same community as Fu Xiu Nian, in the same building, with the only difference being a flight of stairs.

Chen Yi cleaned up the garbage and conceitedly said, 

“Who said that nice personalities won’t fight with me? Your personality’s not bad and you still fight with me everyday.”

Fu Xiu Nian paused in surprise, 

“When have I ever fought with you?”

Chen Yi stuck a hand in his pocket and lazily walked to the kitchen. He opened the fridge and scanned the contents for a while before saying, 

“Fighting at night of course, as otherwise if it was for real, would you still be alive?”

Fu Xiu Nian fighting: a push gets sent over.

Chen Yi fighting: a fist gets pummelled over.

The two cannot be compared.

Fu Xiu Nian naturally did not fail to live up to Chen Yi’s judgment. Hearing these words, he immediately stopped wiping the tables and came up right behind Chen Yi to push him, 

“If we do fight for real, you wouldn’t let me win?”

He had never really done anything to Chen Yi. At most when he got angry, a push here or there was all that greeted him.

Chen Yi didn’t move, thinking that Fu Xiu Nian was quite childish, 

“Only preschool girls would push people and you say you are not a little girl. If you admit to being a little girl, I will let you win in a fight.”

Fu Xiu Nian said, 

“Who said that? Preschool girls just pull hair when they fight. I have never seen them push others.”

Chen Yi’s mood turned even better, 

“Sounds like your hair has been pulled before.”

Fu Xiu Nian explained, 

“I have never experienced it, but I have seen it. My younger cousin is vicious in her preschool fights. Four other people couldn’t beat her by herself.”

Chen Yi’s smile grew on his face even if he was not quite laughing on the inside, 

“You aren’t even better than your younger cousin, what are you so proud of.”

Fu Xiu Nian tsked, 

“I have always been a good student in my youth until now, having never been in a fight.”

Chen Yi gave him an assured look, 

“Then when you were young, compared to your younger cousin, weren’t you a good little angel?”

He could hear Chen Yi mocking him and Fu Xiu Nian said with a emotionless face, 

“What about when you were younger?”

Chen Yi thought about how his juniors used to hide from him when they saw him coming and chuckled, 

“I was a boy prettier and more feminine than a girl hahahahaha.”

“……”

When they moved into their new home, all the furniture was newly bought. So they only finally got everything done today after all the hassle, despite the very simple decorations and design. And Chen Xiao Meng would only be moving there in the next few days with all of their clothes and other random things packed from their previous home.

The fridge was already emptied and Chen Yi bumped his shoulder against Fu Xiu Nian. He tilted his chin as a signal, 

“Let’s go. We’ll head to the market to get some groceries.”

Fu Xiu Nian was lying on the sofa and playing on his phone. He didn’t even look at him and said with his voice very frosty and cold, 

“No. Have you ever seen a good little angel go out to buy groceries before?”

Chen Yi was taken aback and then realized that Fu Xiu Nian was referring to his mocking earlier and he chuckled. He then scooped Fu Xiu Nian up from the sofa and said, 

“I don’t care about other people and their family, but my family must head out to the market.”

Fu Xiu Nian couldn’t win over Chen Yi in strength and was dragged like a dead dog from the sofa. Taking the chance when Chen Yi’s attention slipped from preparing a down jacket for him, he flailed and flapped as he tried to scamper back to the sofa.

Chen Yi grabbed Fu Xiu Nian’s ankle, 

“Are you going or not?”

Fu Xiu Nian held in his laughter and shook his head, 

“No.”

“You really won’t go?”

“No.”

Silence fell upon Chen Yi at this and then……

“If you won’t, then I’ll go by myself.”

And then headed straight to the entryway, changed his shoes and left. Leaving nothing but the sound of the door locking in his wake. Fu Xiu Nian was shocked dumb as he had never in his mind ever thought that Chen Yi would just leave. Once he came back to his senses, he quickly ran for the door.

“Chen Yi you–“

The moment Fu Xiu Nian opened the door, before he could finish his words, he saw Chen Yi standing right by the door and he had to swallow back down “come back” these two words.

Wearing a tightly fitted black down jacket, Chen Yi zipped up all the way to his chin, leaving only his pair of dark abyss eyes showing. He was faintly smiling at Fu Xiu Nian and with a face that made others want to beat him up when they saw him, he tilted his head saying, 

“What hmm? Are you going to the market or not?”

Fu Xiu Nian angrily stuffed on his shoes and muttered out, 

“I’m going!”

The weather was getting cold and the year was coming to a close. There weren’t many other pedestrians on the streets, but the supermarkets were jam packed full of crowds. 

Once inside, Chen Yi took off his jacket and hung it over his shoulder, faintly revealing a lean muscular body with the casual white tee he had on under the jacket. With his height, and a very different aura when compared to the average man, quite a few people swung their heads back to look at him even though he was wearing a mask.

Pushing along the shopping cart, Fu Xiu Nian scanned their surroundings with hostility and aggression. He then snatched the jacket off of Chen Yi’s shoulder and said, 

“Put this back on.”

Chen Yi was looking around at all the products and replied, 

“Why, I’m hot.”

Fu Xiu Nian very calmly said, 

“I think you are quite cold.”

So,

“Wear it.”

Chen Yi purposefully went against Fu Xiu Nian’s will and chuckled as he turned his head back and said, 

“And I won’t.”

Fu Xiu Nian grabbed a bag of raw ginger and dropped it into the cart, 

“Then you can make your own meal today.”

Chen Yi immediately put his jacket on and grabbed the bag of ginger to put it back. He mumbled with his eyes furrowed, 

“I don’t like to eat this.”

Fu Xiu Nian gave him a look, 

“Who’s asking you to eat it. You need this to remove that meat stench when marinating the meat. When have I not picked out all the raw ginger clean before serving it to you?”

If it was just the two of them, Chen Yi would kiss him on the mouth right now, but as they were unfortunately outside, it wouldn’t be too appropriate to do so. Chen Yi could only ruffle Fu Xiu Nian on the head and compliment him, 

“Hmm, beautiful people are indeed kind.”

Fu Xiu Nian held his forehead in exasperation and he felt like he should never carry the hope that he would hear a normal compliment from the mouth of Chen Yi.

The two of them looked around for a few fresh vegetables before heading to the snack aisles. Originally they didn’t plan to buy a lot, but they kept thinking they were lacking in everything. So when they walked out of the supermarket, they held in their hands two big packed bags and the weight was unspeakably heavy.

Because the supermarket was not far from home, Fu Xiu Nian did not drive and he regretted that decision at that moment, 

“If we had known earlier, we should not have bought those yellow canned peaches and we wouldn’t need to get those drinks as it’s not that urgent. Otherwise it wouldn’t be so heavy.”

Chen Yi said, 

“Excuse me, you aren’t even the one holding the bags. I didn’t even utter a sound, so what are you going on for? Nagging on more than an old grandma, you are.”

Fu Xiu Nian snorted coldly. Chen Yi was just chasing after his praise and approval, and now he’s an old grandma. What a giant pig’s foot Chen Yi was.

C City had its snowy weather come early this year. The first snowfall happened about half a month ago, but unfortunately it was only snow mixed with rain. As the snowflakes fell, they disappeared into the void alongside the raindrops. The next morning when they woke up, there was nothing to see, as if it had never happened.

Fu Xiu Nian was pouting and walked faster, purposefully leaving Chen Yi behind for a distance. He walked and walked and then he couldn’t help himself and stopped, turning his head back to wait for Chen Yi. The moment he did however, he discovered the faint blurs on the top of the streetlamps, as if there was a tiny bit of snow falling down.

When Chen Yi caught up, he saw Fu Xiu Nian with his head up, looking at the streetlamps. He was like an idiot, not moving and just staring at who knows what. Both of Chen Yi’s hands were holding bags which meant he didn’t have any hands free, so he could only walk up behind Fu Xiu Nian and use his head to lightly bump into the other’s head, 

“Big dummy, it’s snowing and you’re just standing here? Waiting to become a snowman?”

Fu Xiu Nian came back to his senses then, 

“Ah? I was waiting for you.”

Chen Yi chuckled again, 

“And haven’t I come now? Let’s go. It’s going to be troublesome if it rains.”

Fu Xiu Nian agreed with his thoughts and reached out to grab a bag from his hands, 

“But I don’t think it will rain.”

Chen Yi avoided his hands and walked behind Fu Xiu Nian like his shadow, pushing him and stepping forward at the same time as the latter, 

“Yes yes yes. You are the Emperor. Whatever you say is right.”

Fu Xiu Nian said, 

“There is a very small chance of rain in this kind of weather.”

Chen Yi gave a very perfunctory acknowledgment, 

“Sure sure sure. Let’s go home, home home.”

Fu Xiu Nian: “What are you in a hurry for?”

Chen Yi flew by like the wind, 

“I don’t think you’re holding anything?”

This light snow turned into a heavy snowstorm and before long, the ground was covered in white. Following the close yet distant shadows, they were soon gone within the snow, leaving only a set of footprints illuminated clearly under the light of the streetlamps.

The entire winter, Fu Xiu Nian and Chen Yi holed up in their home and when it was spring, << Minister >> was finally set to be broadcasted. The marketing team first posted behind-the-scenes pictures and more promotional material to catch the eyes of the public with the few main actors and actresses all resharing them onto their weibo for their fans. Which in turn caused the show to become more widely known.

If it was just on Chen Yi’s acting skills, then he would definitely not be up on par with Cen Qing or the other older actors. But the character role was too closely related to him, and to a certain extent, it could be counted as acting as himself. So each camera angle, each frame, it was him in the scene. Handsome and vicious, so much so that the viewers were spitting at their monitors with their anger at his schemes and also wu wu wu crying, wanting to marry him.

Never be afraid of a villain being bad, be afraid that he’s handsome, especially Chen Yi, this kind of hormone inducing, ovary exploding existence that no one can deny!!!

Fangirls who chase after idols and celebrities have many skills and talents under their belt. Stanning CPs meant that there were always the fine details to grab the “sugar and honey” from. Billion Year fangirls silently held their fists, thinking that their time had finally come, and indeed they were soaring through the heavens with their many numbers. 

Only a few episodes had aired and videos had already been cut and edited until almost every second was used; from ghost to love stories, you name it, there was probably already a video out there.

Chen Yi in the drama as Meng Yu had the boldness and the scheming down, but the only thing he could not be was overly ruthless, which caused an internal clash in the character. 

Fu Xiu Nian’s Lu Shuang was mysterious and hard to read, always that white robed young man, smiling warmly and seemingly close, but you could never tell if he was good or evil. The only thing certain about him was that he wanted to support a righteous emperor in these turbulent times. Although his relationship with the crown prince seemed a bit too close, with indications of even sprinklings of love, he had never made it clear whose side he was on.

Meng Yu: That Yan Dao Ning is so detestable. I cannot leave him alive.

Lu Shuang: Your Highness please wait!

Meng Yu: Qingzhou has fallen into a famine and our Father has sent the crown prince over with food and money to help. Hmph. I will not allow him to get there with a single grain of rice.

Lu Shuang: Your Highness that can’t be!

Meng Yu: Now that the military tally is in my hands, divert all the men and horses quickly to my hands. This prince will revolt and no one can do a thing!

Lu Shuang: Please reconsider……

In the beginning, Lu Shuang poured his heart and soul out to urge and redirect Meng Yu to a straight path, but in the end, he only stayed silent, listening to every word and, even purposefully letting Meng Yu do as he wished. As if Meng Yu was dangling on the edge of the cliff, and he had struggled with his life to pull him back but found out that he was powerless to do anything and so instead, pushed him off the cliff himself.

Lu Shuang was a bad man with good aspirations for the world. He gave all his generosity to the good of the citizens on this earth, and in return, he gave all his terribleness to Meng Yu.

At first the scriptwriter wanted Meng Yu in the beginning to be assertive, making his own decisions in front of everyone, but with Lu Shuang, he would be attentive and hang onto his every word. Thus, showing how much Meng Yu craved in his ambition and how much he craved for highly intelligent schemers to be by his side. This kind of internal conflict and “reverse cuteness” in this pairing really brought out the feelings of people who “loved each other but wanted to kill each other”. 

Following the episodes of the drama being released, those who stanned the CP began to increase and increase, and the fans had a hope that the two would have a good ending. But when Meng Yu revolted, when Lu Shuang’s sword stabbed right through Meng Yu’s body, he had shattered their hearts through their monitors, along with the end of Meng Yu.

Billion Year fangirls and Yu-Lu CPs all cried on their floors, wailing on one hand and on the other, scouring through the glass shards to find some sugar hidden within, wanting to see if any of these remnants, if licked, could be sweet……

Some fans were into the brotherly feelings of Meng Yu and the crown prince, and they spread many possible things to nibble on, and so the more they posted, the more others thought that this pair could work too!

Yu-Lu CP fans: Go away!!!

Others stanned Meng Yu and Yan Dao Ning’s relationship as archenemies and those CP fans also started sharing their videos and pictures and stories which made it super easy to get into. Stan with them?

Yu-Lu CP fans: Fuck off!!! Rather nibble on melon seeds than nibble on your CP!1

There was a quite high levelled and knowledgeable editor who could edit videos with such a perfect grasp on the precision of camera pans and cuts, having a great sense of the timing and emotions of the scenes that she had amassed quite a lot of fans. When she fell into the hole of Yu-Lu CP, she used her skills to find all the sugar bits hiding in the camera frames and at last released a video filled with nothing but sugar and more sugar.

The video highlighted the uncontainable like of Fu Xiu Nian, and he was almost always smiling during the whole drama, but only towards Chen Yi. It was a smile that came from the heart; one that could even gentle his eyes as he looked upon Chen Yi.

Yu-Lu CP stans who were in the midst of nibbling on their CP watched this video to heal their shattered hearts. But then they discovered that this high tech boss editor had actually put out a video that would take their lives away at the very end.

In his all white robe, Lu Shuang, stood in the sea of blood and death and raised his sword at Meng Yu. In that frosty glimpse as the sword fell, fresh blood spilled at his feet. Meng Yu’s body finally couldn’t hold up anymore and collapsed with a thunderous sound, with only his eyes sealed with the image of that white robed shadow.

The background was full of soldiers bowing on the ground and yelling out for their new emperor, protecting the crown prince as he took his throne. Only Lu Shuang stood, standing in his original place and only when Meng Yu finally closed his eyes, did he use his sleeves to slowly wipe that blade tainted with blood.

A white robe not even tainted with dust had now been seeped with blood.

The video slowly faded, leaving only a warm male voice in a voice over, which was from the first episode, a line from Lu Shuang —

“I want to be a loyal official, helping a righteous Emperor to his rightful throne. This is something Lu Shuang should do.”

And yet at the end, he was not his loyal official, and he was not his righteous emperor.

Yu-Lu CP fans suffered a heavy and fatal blow from this edited cut. They coughed up blood and yelled out: Someone… Someone … call the ambulance and also send this video covering itself in a façade of sugar and sweet love but is instead full of glass shards away……

Also, this editor must have been a spy that infiltrated our headquarters!!!

Notes:

*1 what the title implies and this sentence implies, kind of taking on how “nibbling on melon seeds” is like enjoying or snacking on this thing you like so hence “nibble on CP”. In this way, a bit different from the popcorn as I like to compare this saying to, melon seeds are very addictive. You don’t stop with just one (nor with just a handful), and of course, having something to nibble on is a common pastime. In this case, “nibbling on cp” means you can’t stop consuming the cp and all related things about them, and you basically just enjoy the cp just like melon seeds.

TL Tidbits:
Maybe not so interesting note, you may have already noticed but the ending here is a bit of a play on historical dramas where usually a high status person like the Emperor hears something bad, something that makes them cough up their blood and they are technically calling for their “servants” to come to deal with the mess.