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The current situation was extremely urgent. Rong Yuheng’s quick-witted mind raced for a few seconds before he firmly held Wen Zhecheng’s large hand, sincerity in his eyes. “According to game theory, if we both head in different directions, with one going east and the other south, the chances of the small crystal surviving are maximized.”

Wen Zhecheng, not deceived by the false depth of emotion in Rong Yuheng’s eyes, had a remarkably clear mind at the moment.

With a deep gaze, Wen Zhecheng asked, “Didn’t you say we’d fly together through thick and thin? How did it become a peacock flying southeast?”

Rong Yuheng corrected him, “Flying southeast like a peacock doesn’t carry that connotation…”

Wen Zhecheng ignored him and went straight to the heart of the matter. “You just want to abandon me!”

Rong Yuheng’s well-thought-out arguments were choked in his throat. After a while, he compromised with a half-hearted question, “So what do you suggest?”

Right now, they were both filming in the same crew, and they couldn’t just buy tickets and run away.

Wen Zhecheng pondered for a moment and then tentatively suggested, “What if we both go and apologize to Qu Youhe together?”

“…”

Rong Yuheng gave Wen Zhecheng a deep look. He realized that every time this person felt guilty, he would instantly transform into a primary school student.

Rong Yuheng educated him, “Not all mistakes can be forgiven with an apology… but you’re not wrong. At the very least, we should correct our attitude first.”

Wen Zhecheng, looking at Rong Yuheng, felt an itchy sensation in his heart. His little hamster was really cute and obedient.

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While Wen Zhecheng was daydreaming about cuddling his hamster, Rong Yuheng suddenly grabbed him and leaned in closer to his ear.

A warm breath brushed against Wen Zhecheng’s ear, causing a slight blush to appear on his cheeks. His heart pounded rapidly, and before he could turn and affectionately kiss Rong Yuheng, he heard the latter say, “Come, let me teach you how to sing.”

Wen Zhecheng blinked in confusion. “?”

…

When Qu Youhe arrived, he saw Wen Zhecheng and Rong Yuheng standing side by side in a dignified manner, as if they had been waiting for him.

Qu Youhe had originally harbored ill intentions, but upon seeing this scene, he couldn’t help but freeze for a moment. Then, he asked, “What are you two doing?”

Rong Yuheng lightly nudged Wen Zhecheng with his elbow.

Immediately, both of them raised their hands, interlocking their fingers and clasping them in front of their abdomen, shuffling their feet to stand in a T-shaped position.

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Qu Youhe: …?

With a solemn expression, Rong Yuheng announced, “As winter turns to spring, and all things come back to life, the minds of Wen Zhecheng and Rong Yuheng remain frozen, unable to awaken as promised. We have made a reversible mistake and hope for forgiveness. We present the song ‘Apology’ to Qu-ge.”

After Rong Yuheng’s introduction, he took a deep breath.

Then, a series of melodious and powerful voices flowed from his throat, echoing through the open space:

“It’s all my fault~

Is it too late to apologize…”

After Rong Yuheng finished singing, Wen Zhecheng, after a brief delay, also began to sing. His deep and melodious voice harmonized with Rong Yuheng’s, smoothly overlapping:

“…It’s my fault~

Is it too late… too late…”

Their duet, one high and one low, lingered in Qu Youhe’s ears like two enchanting voices, entwining like two spider spirits weaving a web in his mind.

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Rong Yuheng and Wen Zhecheng’s high and low voices continued to sing, and these two creative actors even adapted the lyrics:

“I’ve already lost…

…my own Weibo~

Just being wilful once and making a small mistake, oh~”

…

After their singing gradually subsided, Qu Youhe still seemed dazed. He couldn’t help but think:

Is this the divine sound that can elevate people to a higher realm? This is truly astounding…

Rong Yuheng had finished singing and waited for a few seconds before meekly poking his head out. “Qu-ge, Wen-laoshi and I realize our mistake. We specially composed this song to express our sincerity.”

Wen Zhecheng nodded in agreement. “That’s right, our attitude is now corrected.”

Qu Youhe gradually regained his composure from the dizziness and swayed his head to clear his mind. “You guys…”

He opened his mouth but quickly closed it again. It was evident that he hadn’t fully recovered from the experience a moment ago.

The two main lovers weren’t in a hurry; they simply gazed at him obediently.

After a while, Qu Youhe’s rationality finally returned. He rubbed his chest, which had an irregular heartbeat, and said in a deep voice, “Zhecheng-ge, you’re becoming more and more remarkable.”

Wen Zhecheng lowered his head, adopting a humble posture. “People always improve.”

Qu Youhe replied, “…”

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Rong Yuheng added, “…”

It seemed that Wen Zhecheng’s sarcasm went unnoticed by his well-meaning warmth.

Fortunately, Wen Zhecheng had managed to keep his team’s secret operation under wraps without causing a bigger uproar. After Qu Youhe had subjected both of them to a lengthy lecture and critique, he decided to let the matter rest.

Once Qu Youhe had left, Rong Yuheng snuggled up to Wen Zhecheng and offered some advice. “Sometimes, words of praise don’t necessarily mean genuine praise.”

Wen Zhecheng didn’t understand. “Why not?” He said, “Every time I praise you, it’s sincere.”

Rong Yuheng’s lengthy explanation got stuck in his throat. Suddenly, he felt so complex and guilty. Why did he have to let this kind and innocent person see through the hypocrisy and thorns of the world?

Rong Yuheng simply kissed him and said, “Never mind, I misspoke. All those words of praise for you are indeed sincere. You deserve them.”

Wen Zhecheng lowered his head slightly and enjoyed the affection from his little hamster’s kiss. “Mm, I know.”

…

The filming on the set was nearing its end, and He Zhou was about to return.

Rong Yuheng was a bit worried. He had been too harsh during their last phone call, and he didn’t know if it would be awkward when he had to work with He Zhou again.

However, before Rong Yuheng could figure out how to face He Zhou, a phone call from Rong Chongyang disrupted his peaceful shooting.

Rong Yuheng received the call just as the evening shoot was wrapping up. The sky had darkened, and the people around him were barely visible. Crew members were bustling around, moving camera equipment, and the reflector umbrella was being shifted with a ‘swish’ sound, amidst conversations among the crew members.

The signal wasn’t great in this area, and Rong Chongyang’s voice came through the phone somewhat intermittently, with uneven breaths.

“Xiao Heng, come back for a moment. Dad has been taken to the hospital.”

For a moment, Rong Yuheng felt like all the sounds around him were drifting away.

He heard Rong Chongyang give an address and mention something about fainting, and then the call ended. Rong Yuheng remained in a dazed state.

He automatically reported to Shi Qiu and requested leave from Qian Xinlei, and booked the next available late-night flight. His mind was filled with Rong Chongyang’s words, “Dad has been taken to the hospital.”

After taking care of these matters, Rong Yuheng was about to get into a taxi when his wrist was suddenly grabbed.

He turned around and saw Wen Zhecheng in the night, his lips tightly sealed. His face had a hint of determination, yet his eyes were soft.

“Rongrong.” Wen Zhecheng called him, reaching out to pull him into a tight hug. “You… you can call me if you need anything.”

Wen Zhecheng’s chest was warm and firm, and Rong Yuheng buried himself in it, understanding the meaning behind Wen Zhecheng’s words. His eyes welled up with tears, and his chaotic emotions began to settle.

Wen Zhecheng didn’t say, “You still have me.” He could have used this opportunity to assert his presence in Rong Yuheng’s life, but he felt that saying that would make it seem like Rong Yuheng had already lost something.

So, Wen Zhecheng simply said, “You can call me.” He positioned himself where Rong Yuheng could see him when he turned back, guarding silently and steadfastly.

Rong Yuheng hugged him for a moment before releasing him and getting into the taxi.

“Send me a message once you land.”

Rong Yuheng nodded, and as the car window went up, the red taillights streaked through the night, disappearing into the distance.

—

The flight took off at 2:40 in the early morning and landed a little after 5 a.m. Rong Yuheng got off the plane, called a cab, and headed straight to the hospital.

Rong Chongyang had only given him a rough idea over the phone, and with his mind in turmoil at the time, he still didn’t know the specifics of Rong Tianchen’s condition.

Because he didn’t know, he was afraid.

The hospital’s lobby was floored with white tiles, and footsteps echoed with a ‘tap, tap’ sound as people walked. The elevator displayed the floor numbers, and it quickly stopped at the 5th floor.

Rong Yuheng exited the elevator and followed the room number given by Rong Chongyang. After turning a corner, he saw Rong Chongyang sitting outside the hospital room, looking somewhat tired.

“Brother—” Rong Yuheng called out, rushing over. “Where’s Dad?”

“The situation has stabilized,” Rong Chongyang reassured him, placing a hand on Rong Yuheng’s shoulder to comfort his emotions. “He lost consciousness for a while, but it’s not too serious. He’s sleeping inside now.”

Rong Yuheng asked, “What did the doctor say?”

Rong Chongyang explained, “With old age, the body’s functions tend to decline. The doctor said it was likely due to insufficient blood supply to the brain. He lost consciousness for a moment, but we caught it in time, and now he’s fine.”

Rong Yuheng let out a small sigh of relief. He leaned against the cold wall. His earlier anxiety had faded, and now he realized his legs had been trembling slightly.

Once Rong Yuheng had calmed down, his brain began functioning again. “Why would there be insufficient blood supply to the brain?”

Rong Chongyang hesitated for a moment, looking somewhat embarrassed.

Rong Yuheng inquired, “?” 

After contemplating for a moment, Rong Chongyang slowly said, “Dad has been reading history books lately…”

Rong Yuheng furrowed his brows. “I haven’t read many books, don’t try to deceive me. Can reading history books lead to insufficient blood supply to the brain?”

Rong Chongyang continued his explanation. “There’s a story about Lian Po in the history books. Do you know it?”

Rong Yuheng pondered for a moment. “Apologizing while carrying a heavy load?”

Rong Chongyang clarified, “No, it’s the anecdote with the phrase ‘Lian Po is old, can he still eat?'”

Rong Yuheng tried to recall the story. It seemed to be about Lian Po, who, after being relieved of his position, tried to prove he was still fit for duty. He ate an enormous meal consisting of a large bowl of rice and several kilograms of meat. Later, the messenger reported to King Zhao that Lian Po had made several trips to the restroom during the meal, and the king concluded that Lian Po was too old.

After recollecting, Rong Yuheng still couldn’t see the logical connection between the two stories. He even started to doubt his own knowledge. Could he have remembered the anecdote incorrectly?

Unable to find an answer, he asked, “What does this have to do with Dad fainting?”

Rong Chongyang averted his gaze, looking at an unnamed spot down the corridor. “…Dad also wanted to see if he was getting old, so he ate a huge bowl of rice and several kilograms of meat.”

Rong Yuheng found it utterly unbelievable. “Did he faint from overeating!?”

“No,” Rong Chongyang tried to phrase it in a way that didn’t sound too absurd. “He, like Lian Po, made numerous trips to the restroom. But in the end, because he stood up too abruptly after squatting for too long, he fainted.”

Rong Yuheng was left speechless.

He felt that he had embarked on this trip for all the wrong reasons.

Author’s Note: Rong Yuheng: I actually rushed back from the set and took a late-night flight just to see this big conch shell who fainted from squatting on the toilet too long!!

Big Conch Shell: Help me up… I, I can still eat!

Read more or suggest me a translation: Tojoillust Carrd