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Rong Yuheng felt his heart pounding as if Wen Zhecheng’s breath, mixed with the scent of alcohol, had landed directly on his cheeks, instantly raising his body temperature.

Rong Yuheng averted his gaze. “I didn’t expect that the pet owner would also be an excellent dad.”

Wen Zhecheng playfully shook his enlarged tail feathers. “I did mention that I’m very family-oriented.”

Rong Yuheng covered his little heart and quickly moved away. “Alright, alright, I get it.”

The two of them returned to the private room together, and as they entered, they were met with curious gazes.

Qian Xinlei had been wondering why Wen Zhecheng had chosen to play the second male lead. However, upon seeing the two of them return so intimately, a suspicion suddenly emerged in his mind.

Damn. He was instantly shocked, and his alcohol buzz was half gone. If it were true, it would be too exciting!

…

After the meal, everyone left the private room together. Wen Zhecheng, feeling a bit muddled from the alcohol but not quite drunk, was still excited. When he saw Rong Yuheng getting up to leave, he immediately stuck close to him, even attempting to rest his head on Rong Yuheng’s shoulder.

Qu Youhe was startled, and his eyebrows shot up. He quickly pulled Wen Zhecheng away and whispered, “Cheng-ge, we’re already out of the private room. There are too many people here.”

Wen Zhecheng finally realized and straightened up. “Oh,” he said, standing upright.

Rong Yuheng sensed the commotion behind him and turned around in puzzlement. “What are you guys doing? Why do I feel like there was a head leaning over just now?”

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Qu Youhe took advantage of Wen Zhecheng’s less-than-sober state and randomly made up, “Cheng-ge had a bit too much to drink and wanted to dance Xinjiang dance.”

Rong Yuheng’s gaze became complicated in a split second. “He has this kind of hobby…”

Qu Youhe said, “Uh-huh.”

Rong Yuheng nodded. “I see.”

He planned to find an opportunity to let his pet Wen Zhecheng showcase this hobby to his heart’s content.

…

Shortly after the audition, the contract from Qian Xinlei’s side was sent over, officially confirming that Rong Yuheng would play the role of the male lead. Preparations for the production would take some time, and besides daily practice with the team for singing and dancing, Rong Yuheng also added fitness to his routine.

“Journey of the Plain-clothes Traveler” contained many action scenes, and some of them required wirework. Without proper physical fitness, it would be challenging to handle them.

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There was no dedicated gym in the apartment building, so the members either worked out in their rooms or used vacant rehearsal spaces.

When Rong Yuheng pushed the door open and entered the rehearsal room, he found Zou Yi and Bian Chen doing push-ups. Even though it was winter and the rehearsal room lacked heating, both of them were shirtless, their sweat dripping down their muscular bodies.

Rong Yuheng squinted his eyes, feeling a bit itchy in his heart. He wanted to…

He walked over and took off his coat, wearing only a tank top. Then, he plopped down between the two, making a grand entrance. “I want to join the ranks of you macho men!”

Zou Yi and Bian Chen exchanged glances. Seeing Rong Yuheng’s shivering body, Zou Yi couldn’t help but say, “Do you know the difference between dreams and delusions?”

Rong Yuheng’s teeth chattered, making a “click clack” sound, but he refused to back down from reality. “I want to get my abs back before joining the crew. Otherwise, I won’t fit the image of a generation’s hero.”

Bian Chen, as usual, taunted him, “Why do you need to work on your abs? Will a generation’s hero wear crop tops?”

Rong Yuheng muttered, “…” That annoying cynic.

The consequence of forcefully joining the ranks of macho men was that the next day, Rong Yuheng realized he had caught a cold.

He didn’t become a macho man, but he did become the most conspicuous flower among them. Just as well, these days, STAR—T’s debut album was officially released. The entire group was busy traveling to various places for concerts and promotional activities.

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Rong Yuheng had Zou Yi and Bian Chen flanking him as he went up and down the stairs. His feet barely touched the ground, and his runny nose waved in the wind as he moved quickly…

Fortunately, the “Couch Potato’s Mobility Technique” saved Rong Yuheng some energy. He managed to survive through both the concerts and promotional activities. By the time all the events were over, he had successfully upgraded from a mild cold to a low-grade fever.

The release of the first album went smoothly, with celebrity friends and marketing accounts on Weibo sharing promotional content one after another. STAR—T’s popularity surged.

Videos and edited images from the concert were quickly posted on Weibo. While fans praised their idols’ extraordinary beauty, some observant fans noticed that Rong Yuheng was unwell.

“Rong Rong’s nose seems a bit red. At first, I thought it was due to the lighting and makeup, but after looking at three or four pictures, it’s still like that.”

“Moreover, in the videos, Rong Yuheng isn’t as energetic as usual! Is he feeling unwell? [Worried]”

“Wuwuwu, baby, take care of yourself! Mom is worried!”

“Ah, Rong Rong has been busy with promotions for the past few days. Maybe he got sick because WLS couldn’t take care of him properly? [Crying]”

“The commenter above… isn’t WLS referring to WZC (Wen Zhecheng)?”

“Let’s support the new album! Everyone, let’s work hard! [Fist bump]”

…

At this moment, the STAR—T boy band had just returned to their dormitory. Rong Yuheng’s head was spinning, and he leaned on Zou Yi’s shoulder, almost tripping over the doorstep.

Shan Qi quickly put down his luggage and went to the kitchen to boil some water. Bian Chen, holding both his luggage and Rong Yuheng’s, looked extremely disdainful. “Where should I throw your little bag?”

Despite having a fever, Rong Yuheng didn’t forget to kick and punch at Bian Chen, until Zou Yi picked him up and tucked him into bed.

“Don’t waste your energy. Don’t you want to join the production anymore?”

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The room instantly fell silent at Rong Yuheng’s words.

After taking medicine and drinking a glass of hot water, he planned to go to sleep early. The constant hustle and bustle while being sick had taken a toll on his body. A few days ago, Xun Guang had sent a message, saying that they would start filming in half a month. This meant that he had to recover his health within that time frame.

The room’s lights were turned off with a snap, but Rong Yuheng’s phone screen suddenly lit up.

As expected, it was from his pet owner, Wen Zhecheng.

【Wen Zhecheng】: Have you returned to the dorm? Take your medicine and get some rest.

【Rong Yuheng】: I was just about to sleep. Give me a goodnight kiss~ 

【Wen Zhecheng】: Sure, sleep well, baby. Goodnight~ [Seal kiss]

Damn…! Rong Yuheng’s heart skipped a beat, and he was half-awake despite his drowsiness. Why did Wen Zhecheng send another “kiss” emoji! Moreover, this high-quality image paired with clear text made him strongly suspect that Wen Zhecheng had edited it himself.

This was serious…

…

The next day, Rong Yuheng’s condition worsened.

He often forgot to turn off the air conditioning and electric blanket while chatting with Wen Zhecheng .

Coincidentally, they had a recording session for “Treasure Hunt” on the second day. When Rong Yuheng saw Wen Zhecheng, he immediately scolded him.

“This is the seventh time I’ve forgotten to turn off the air conditioning and electric blanket! If this continues, I’ll turn into a roasted hamster!”

Wen Zhecheng rubbed him guiltily and tried to manually restore his hamster’s smooth and glossy fur. “It’s my fault. I’ll remind you before we go to sleep next time.”

Rong Yuheng said suspiciously, “What if you forget too?”

Wen Zhecheng replied, “I won’t forget.”

Rong Yuheng didn’t hide his lack of trust. He took out his phone and typed away. “No, I have to change your contact name to ‘Air Conditioning and Electric Blanket’ so that I’ll remember when I see you.”

Wen Zhecheng hesitated, “…” No, this exclusive nickname didn’t sound romantic at all. It sounded more like a scrap collector’s nickname.

The debate between the two about the exclusive nickname was still ongoing when Su Yuyin arrived with two other guests.

He had heard that Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhecheng were joining the production, so he chatted with them.

“When are you joining the production? Director Yang was worried that you might ditch our show, and he couldn’t sleep at night because of it.”

Thinking about the image of him as a roasted hamster, Rong Yuheng almost burst into laughter. “It should be in about half a month. Haha… We’ll be finishing the first season by then.”

Su Yuyin laughed, “Director Yang wants to record a few more episodes. ‘Treasure Hunt’ is already ranked third among variety shows. He probably wants to aim for the top spot before concluding it.”

Rong Yuheng complained, “You’re really a greedy man.”

…

While they were chatting, a staff member from the production team suddenly approached them. “Teachers, we need you to provide screenshots of your WeChat chat lists. Just the first entry is enough. If you want to make any adjustments, you can do it now.”

The two new guests sitting nearby immediately took out their phones to adjust their lists. Su Yuyin also took out his phone and looked at it.

“Oh, my first chat is with Director Yang. He’s complaining about whether Zhecheng’s presence will affect the viewership ratings. Hahaha…”

The two main guests: “…”

The first chat entry on both Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhecheng’s lists was each other. Rong Yuheng, seeing the [Seal kiss] emoji, felt his face heating up. He quickly sent a message.

【Rong Yuheng】: A new day, let’s strive to be better, cheer up! [Sun]

Wen Zhecheng looked puzzled and asked, “?”

Rong Yuheng explained sincerely, “The content of our conversation last night wouldn’t look good on the show.”

Wen Zhecheng felt a hint of regret but also understood the need for restraint. “Okay.”

Onlookers were left puzzled, wondering what they had talked about that was inappropriate.

Screenshots of everyone’s first chat entry were quickly sent to the production team.

Su Yuyin slyly approached Rong Yuheng. “Rongbao, you and Teacher Wen…”

Rong Yuheng accused him with a heavy heart. “Are you imagining dirty things?”

Su Yuyin choked for a moment, finally understanding what “turned the table” meant. “You were the one who said your chat content wasn’t good.”

Having spent almost a season with these two, Su Yuyin knew that their relationship could be overly intimate at times. The production team had also used the “Ze Cheng Yi Yu cp” angle to boost viewership, but he couldn’t be sure if they were genuinely a couple.

Wen Zhecheng had a huge fan base, and while Rong Yuheng was popular too, he couldn’t compete in terms of popularity and influence. Su Yuyin was concerned that if the two of them revealed their relationship on the show, Rong Yuheng might face an overwhelming backlash.

Rong Yuheng clarified, “It’s not something dirty, just a misunderstanding because of an emoji Teacher Wen used.”

Su Yuyin asked, “What emoji?”

Rong Yuheng replied, “A kiss.”

Su Yuyin muttered, “…” Damn. This was practically a confession. No one would misunderstand that.

This amusing conversation ended as the recording of the show began. All the guests went on stage, and they finally understood why the production team had asked for screenshots of their WeChat chat lists.

Xi Lin explained, “Our show’s fans are particularly interested in the social interactions between our guests. So, we decided to randomly check the first entry in each guest’s WeChat chat list to see who you’ve been chatting with recently.”

As the production team had already given them prior notice, the guests responded confidently, “No problem.”

Rong Yuheng, in particular, puffed out his chest proudly, as if he were wearing a bright red scarf around his neck.

Xi Lin couldn’t resist chuckling. “Rong Rong seems to be quite eager to speak first. How about you start?”

Rong Yuheng’s confident expression instantly froze.

Oh no, I forgot!

Xi Lin continued, “Rong Rong, your first entry seems quite special. Is it because Teacher Wen is like a warm guy to you?”

The microphone was handed to Rong Yuheng, who hesitated for a moment and then glanced at Wen Zhecheng, who was gazing back at him with a “tit for tat” expression, clearly unwilling to lend a hand.

Rong Yuheng’s throat felt dry as he reluctantly confessed, “It’s not a warm guy, it’s an automatic reminder.”

A reminder to turn off the air conditioning and electric blanket.

The author’s note: Rong Goose: I can use magic to turn everyone around me into tools! Dear brother is a barrage tool, dear pet is a warm bed tool… Huh?

Wen Zhecheng: Sure thing.