The Most Popular Comedian

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After Wen Zhecheng finished speaking, he noticed that the two at the table were giving him strange looks.

With his previously assertive demeanor, he suddenly hesitated. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Rong Yuheng shook his head and lowered his eyes to continue eating his buns.

Well, everyone has their own spending preferences. Even if Wen Zhecheng liked something flashy, Rong Yuheng had to choose to be tolerant.

Wen Zhongyun glared at Wen Zhecheng with an iron-hearted expression, his face burning with anger. Why couldn’t he just give a compliment!

Wen Zhecheng: ???

Suddenly, Wen Zhecheng felt a bit aggrieved. What was wrong with wanting to change his car? He had lived a simple and humble life, working diligently, and this was his small wish. Why did he have to endure such peculiar looks from his closest family and loved ones?

Wen Zhecheng pressed his lips into a straight line and put down the bun he was holding in silence.

While eating, Wen Zhongyun noticed that Wen Zhecheng had fallen silent. He looked up and saw that Wen Zhecheng seemed to be in a bad mood.

Wen Zhongyun: Um…

He secretly touched Rong Yuheng’s foot under the table. It seemed like Wen Zhecheng might cry.

Rong Yuheng received the signal and quietly glanced at Wen Zhecheng. He saw that Wen Zhecheng’s brows were furrowed, his eyelashes drooping, and his face showing signs of unhappiness.

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Rong Yuheng couldn’t believe it. Was it true?

After some consideration, he cautiously approached Wen Zhecheng and asked, “There are many Lincoln car models. Which type are you interested in?”

Wen Zhecheng’s gaze shifted, and his brows gradually relaxed. “I’m fine with any… it depends on which one you like.”

Rong Yuheng was suddenly stunned. What did he mean by “depends on which one you like”? Could it be that Wen Zhecheng wanted to change the car for his sake?

“Your Lexus RX is also very good, and I find it comfortable to ride in,” Rong Yuheng said.

Wen Zhecheng’s little temper flared up again. “No, it’s not good. It couldn’t even catch up to a hot air balloon.”

Rong Yuheng didn’t understand what was “not good” about it at all. But he was afraid that if he asked any more questions, Wen Zhecheng would become upset again. So, he gently reassured, “I’ll ask my friend for recommendations and see what they suggest.”

Wen Zhecheng’s mood improved in an instant, but he pretended to be reserved. “Hmm.”

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Today was the last day of the three-day break for the cast and crew, and Rong Yuheng planned to leave directly from Wen Zhecheng’s house to return to the set.

Originally, he wanted to stay one more night at Wen Qin’s place, but the round trip was quite far, and it would be a hassle for Wen Zhecheng. Moreover, Wen Qin mentioned that she would be embarking on her journey again in the afternoon, so Rong Yuheng decided it didn’t make much sense to stay longer and chose to stay at Wen Zhecheng’s house.

As the departure location changed, Rong Yuheng couldn’t help but inform Shi Qiu.

Shi Qiu on the other end of the phone was thunderstruck. “Why did you go to Wen Zhecheng’s house again?”

Rong Yuheng replied vaguely, “It’s just a coincidence.”

 

Shi Qiu sighed, feeling exasperated. “Please spare me! ‘Ze Cheng Yi Yu’ trended on social media again yesterday. Didn’t you guys see it?”

Rong Yuheng was genuinely confused. “Why? We didn’t even do anything yet.”

“…,” Shi Qiu deliberately ignored the implied meaning in Rong Yuheng’s words and continued, “With the recent episodes of ‘Plain Robes,’ some fans have started shipping Yang Xingyu and Huai Qing’s CP, and your CP with He Zuo was also brought up, called ‘He Tianyu.'”

Rong Yuheng picked up on it this time. “What do you mean, ‘He Tianyu’? That’s not appropriate!”

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He didn’t mind having on-screen CPs, but this name was a bit too much. If it were something like “Zhecheng and Yuheng,” it would be fine, with a beautiful meaning derived from their names.

However, “He Tianyu” was quite questionable, and it was too obvious in its implications. No wonder fans of different CPs and ‘Ze Cheng Yi Yu’ trended had a problem with it.

Rong Yuheng asked, “So, what’s the situation now? Did they change it?”

Shi Qiu replied, “Of course they changed it. It caused quite an uproar yesterday. The big shots in the Ze Cheng Yi Yu fandom collectively contributed, and it pushed you guys onto the trending list.”

Rong Yuheng: Geez… “Ze  Cheng Yi Yu” is awesome!

Shi Qiu continued, “Later, the fans of the He Tianyu CP changed the name to the current one, which has a much better and more pleasant imagery. So, everyone stopped making a fuss.”

Rong Yuheng breathed a sigh of relief. That previous CP name was not only unacceptable to the fans but also unbearable for himself. He still had to act with He Zuo, and it would have been awkward!

After ending the call with Shi Qiu, Rong Yuheng still felt a bit uneasy. He couldn’t help but think that he was surrounded by CPs everywhere! Although it wasn’t his intention, he felt guilty when he thought about Wen Zhecheng’s lonely “Ze Cheng Yi Yu.”

Rong Yuheng decided to open his chat with Xun Guang.

【Rong Yuheng】: Happy New Year~ [Sea otter nudges with its face]

【Xun Guang】: Happy New Year! What’s up?

Rong Yuheng thought it was best to be direct and straightforward.

【Rong Yuheng】: Do you know any fan artists? I want to commission some artwork, and money is not an issue!

【Xun Guang】: ? Impressive.

【Xun Guang】: [Business card recommendation] My dedicated artist, a big shot in the fanart community. She’s the one who drew that popular fanart of you during the sweater endorsement.

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【Rong Yuheng】: [Sea otter shocked] Your dedicated artist is also into “Ze Cheng Yi Yu”! What should I call her?

【Xun Guang】: Since she’s my dedicated artist, she’ll draw a few fanarts related to the CP I write [Dango proud]~ Her ID is “Yao Tai Jian Yue.” You can call her Teacher Yao Tai.

Rong Yuheng sent a friend request to Yao Tai, but she hadn’t accepted it yet. He put his phone away for the moment and moved closer to Wen Zhecheng to eat some fruit.

Wen Zhecheng had cut the fruit into small pieces and delicately arranged them on a plate. He inserted toothpicks and fed them to Rong Yuheng. “Ah, open your mouth. Good, close it, and chew…”

Rong Yuheng: …Am I disabled?

He couldn’t help but feel that this scene was oddly familiar. Rong Yuheng began reminiscing while eating fruit. As the plate of fruit was almost empty, Wen Zhecheng asked him in a considerate tone, “Are you full? Do you need to use the restroom?”

The word “restroom” suddenly triggered a memory in Rong Yuheng’s mind. He finally remembered where this eerie familiarity came from. It was from a morning when he watched a movie alone, and he encountered a similarly peculiar and speechless couple!

At that time, Rong Yuheng couldn’t have imagined that one day all of this would happen to him.

“…”

Wen Zhecheng noticed Rong Yuheng’s distraction and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

Rong Yuheng hadn’t fully emerged from his memories yet and absentmindedly replied, “Thinking about other men.”

Wen Zhecheng: …

For a moment, his eyes were as sharp as ever. Could it be the guy with the perky buttocks from the nightmare!

Two seconds later, Rong Yuheng suddenly snapped back to reality, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

He slowly turned to face Wen Zhecheng, who was looking at him with a puzzled expression. The dark pupils in Wen Zhecheng’s eyes were filled with uncertainty.

Rong Yuheng swallowed hard. “Master, listen to me…”

“Do you have a fear of heights?” Wen Zhecheng suddenly interrupted.

“What?” The transition between the two topics was too abrupt, and they seemed unrelated. Rong Yuheng was caught off guard and instinctively replied, “A bit.”

Wen Zhecheng breathed a sigh of relief. If Rong Yuheng had a fear of heights, he probably wouldn’t have gone on a hot air balloon ride to find the guy with perky buttocks.

The next morning, early in the morning, Qu Youhe and Xiaotang came to pick up Wen Zhecheng to go to the airport. When they saw Rong Yuheng, their initial curiosity and vigilance were gone. Qu Youhe even had the mood to joke with him.

“Have you rested well these past few days? You should still have the energy to film, right?”

Wen Zhecheng heard the implied meaning in Qu Youhe’s words, and his ears slightly turned red. They hadn’t reached that stage yet…

Rong Yuheng yawned and hadn’t fully woken up yet. “I have enough energy, but I’ve exhausted Teacher Wen.”

The other three: …

Xiaotang silently turned her head, pretending not to have heard anything. Qu Youhe looked at Wen Zhecheng with meaningful eyes:

Indeed, there are no ruined fields, only tired oxen.

Wen Zhecheng placed his hand on Rong Yuheng’s head and gently rubbed it—very well, he hoped that Rong Yuheng would remember this statement.

The four of them arrived at the airport. Qu Youhe pushed Wen Zhecheng’s suitcase, and Wen Zhecheng carried Rong Yuheng’s backpack. As they walked, passersby and fans who had gathered upon hearing the news held up their phones to take pictures of the two.

Rong Yuheng noticed that most of the supportive signs were for “千层” (Qian Ceng), his fans. He turned to Wen Zhecheng and asked, “These are your fans, aren’t they? Will I be blocking their view of you?”

Wen Zhecheng stared at him for a few seconds and suddenly burst into laughter. “Why don’t you give it a try?”

“Try what?” Rong Yuheng was puzzled.

Wen Zhecheng replied, “Try walking a few steps ahead and make some space for them.”

“Oh…” Although Rong Yuheng didn’t quite understand, he complied. He walked a few steps ahead of Wen Zhecheng, but before he could go three or four meters, the nearby fans suddenly exclaimed, “Hey, hey! Why are you leaving?”

What’s going on? Rong Yuheng was baffled and stopped in his tracks. He looked at the excited fans, then turned his perplexed gaze to Wen Zhecheng.

Wen Zhecheng caught up with him, standing side by side. The fans next to them started cheering again.

“Ahh, they’re together in the frame!!”

Amidst the commotion, one fan even ran up to them with Rong Yuheng’s merchandise, seemingly wanting to give it to him. Rong Yuheng was about to reach out and take it when Wen Zhecheng suddenly placed his arm in front of him, intercepting the merchandise before he could.

“Thank you,” Wen Zhecheng said as he accepted the merchandise.

Rong Yuheng said, “Hey, isn’t this for me?” He then turned to the fan and asked, “Isn’t this for me?”

The fan, a young girl in her twenties, was now so excited that her face had turned red. She covered her mouth, struggling to suppress her laughter and excitement. She bounced on her feet a couple of times and said, “I-It’s the same! You can give it to either of you!”

Now Rong Yuheng understood. These were fans of the “Ze Cheng Yi Yu” CP!

He said, “Thank you, thank you…”

It wasn’t until Wen Zhecheng and Rong Yuheng entered the VIP lounge that the scene finally quieted down. Rong Yuheng patted his chest with lingering fear. “Why were there so many fans this time?”

Qu Youhe explained, “Last time, you came alone, but this time, you came with Brother Zhecheng. Naturally, it’s different!”

Rong Yuheng exclaimed, “Wow!”

Wen Zhecheng was afraid that Rong Yuheng might be concerned about the difference in their popularity, so he affectionately ruffled his hair and said, “And our little crystal (fanbase) is getting more and more powerful. The fans are naturally more enthusiastic than before.”

Rong Yuheng clapped his hands, “Little crystal is awesome!”

He paused for a moment and then said, “By the way, I thought those fans were all yours, and I was worried they wouldn’t want to see me. Your fans don’t seem to dislike me, huh?”

Wen Zhecheng replied, “How could anyone dislike you?”

He said this very naturally, not just as flattery but because he genuinely felt that way.

Rong Yuheng blushed and shyly lowered his head, “You’re making me feel awkward, hehe…”

Qu Youhe, who was beside them, watched the two of them with their heads full of pink bubbles and couldn’t help but feel sweet and sour at the same time.

Rong Yuheng didn’t know that the “Qian Ceng” fanbase was massive, and there were quite a few fans who didn’t ship the “Ze Cheng Yi Yu” CP. However, thanks to the strict management by Wen Zhecheng’s team, the fanbase was well-behaved. Fan group administrators and major fans kept a tight rein on their members. Occasionally, they would even release heartwarming interactions between the two main leads, praising the friendship between them. This ensured that even if some fans didn’t ship the CP, they wouldn’t oppose the friendship between Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhecheng.

Thinking of this, Qu Youhe couldn’t help but sigh. In reality, Wen Zhecheng was right. How could anyone dislike Rong Yuheng?

…

When Shi Qiu arrived, it was already twenty minutes later. She had heard about the “excitement” when they arrived from Qu Youhe and felt mentally and physically exhausted before even embarking on her journey.

“Can you two give each other some space?” she requested.

Rong Yuheng, acting like an carefree fool, responded, “Why? Why?”

Shi Qiu remained indifferent. “I’m afraid your delicate body won’t withstand the storm.”

Rong Yuheng turned to hug Wen Zhecheng tightly, shivering. “I’m so fragile!”

Wen Zhecheng patted his head affectionately, barely able to suppress a smile.

Shi Qiu almost wanted to pry Rong Yuheng off Wen Zhecheng with her own hands!

“I just said to give each other some space, so why are you clinging to each other again?” Shi Qiu said to Rong Yuheng. “Right now, the company isn’t intervening in your CP, but it’s because they want to build hype for ‘Plain Robes.’ Once the TV series loses its popularity, the company might very well shelve you. Do you understand?”

Rong Yuheng obediently replied, “I understand.”

For a moment, Shi Qiu felt like she was a primary school teacher dealing with an inexperienced young student.

She asked, “What do you understand?”

Rong Yuheng raised his small face, his eyes sparkling. “I’m going to spend money again.”

“…”

Author’s Note: Rong Yuheng: Strategic foresight.jpg

Shi Qiu:…Impressive, really impressive.