Chapter 15: Gained Weight
Jiang Yi was a bit incredulous, “You said who?”
“Han Lingran,” Chen Dan gritted his teeth, “I knew this guy wasn’t reliable. I told you not to hang out with him…” He wanted to scold a few more sentences, but he worried that Jiang Yi might be provoked again and quickly changed his tone, “Forget it, it’s too late now. Just know it for the future. Be more careful and don’t let others deceive you with just a few words of camaraderie.”
“I know,” Jiang Yi replied sincerely. Over the past two months, while integrating with the original host’s personality and habits, he had also been subtly changing. At least, the image he portrayed of being enlightened and understanding was very genuine. Not just Chen Dan, even Jiang Ai believed it.
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Jiang Yi, taking a “know thy enemy” approach, made an effort to learn more about Han Lingran after being reminded by Qi Baijia. However, the information he found online left him deeply skeptical of the original host’s memories. Han Lingran was portrayed as a big boy who blushed when shaking hands with female fans, a cute and helpless boy who panicked when embraced by male fans, and a caring warm-hearted man who provided hand warmers to fans during airport greetings…
And, unlike Han Lingran, who bragged about what he got from his benefactors in his memories while smoking and drinking, it was clear that Han Lingran couldn’t hold a candle to the person who the media portrayed him to be.
After going through Han Lingran’s Weibo and various marketing posts reposted by influential accounts, Jiang Yi was amazed by Sheng Hui’s marketing strategies and gained new insights. A company with such diverse personas and various news releases could easily attract fans, and it was no wonder that Jia Die lost out.
This newfound curiosity about marketing prompted Jiang Yi to seek out related lectures and information to learn more. He found the subject fascinating.
Considering Han Lingran’s abilities, it was unlikely that he could persuade Fei Xun to offend Jia Die and snatch the role for him. It was more plausible that the company intervened, but Han Lingran was not Sheng Hui’s flagship artist, nor was he the most favored one. There was no reason for the company to sacrifice its interests for him.
Unless…
“Damn, could he have really gotten involved with some big shot?” Chen Dan’s expression changed as he thought along the same lines as Jiang Yi.
Though he found Han Lingran annoying, he had to admit that the guy had some cunning. Chen Dan worried that someone like Han Lingran might disregard his own reputation and become ruthless against others.
“He’s definitely doing this on purpose!” Chen Dan exclaimed, “He’s deliberately targeting us and doesn’t want you to become famous.”
Indulging the original host’s personality, Jiang Yi joined in with indignation for a few moments, then asked the question that concerned him the most, “I haven’t offended him, so why would he target me?”
He combed through his memories but found no instance of the original host offending Han Lingran. At most, there were some playful teasing remarks, which were normal among boys. It didn’t make sense for Han Lingran to single him out.
He began to suspect if the original host accidentally offended Han Lingran without realizing it, causing that memory to be automatically blurred due to the original host’s carefree personality.
Chen Dan hesitated for a moment and finally said, “Actually, there’s something I haven’t told you.”
“When Wang Dafu first wanted to find someone, he was considering you, and I recommended you,” Chen Dan said as he took advantage of a red light and turned his head to sneak a glance at Jiang Yi’s expression. For some reason, he had the feeling of being a subordinate reporting to a superior. After contemplating it, he attributed it to the aftereffects of portraying Liu Ying.
“But within three days of my recommendation, Han Lingran followed Wang Dafu. That’s why I kept telling you to avoid getting too close to Han Lingran,” Chen Dan explained.
Jiang Yi furrowed his eyebrows. So, Han Lingran was purely acting out of jealousy?
“Is that all?” Jiang Yi asked.
Chen Dan thought for a moment and replied, “I don’t know the specifics of how you got along with him, but before Wang Dafu came into the picture, I didn’t see any problems. It seemed fine.”
Chen Dan regretted not intervening earlier and allowing the two of them to become close. He thought that Jiang Yi should have had friends his age to enjoy a normal life. Unfortunately, Han Lingran was too good at putting on a facade, even he misjudged him. If it weren’t for Wang Dafu’s incident, he might have remained in the dark.
Seeing Jiang Yi’s puzzled expression, Chen Dan quickly reassured him, “Don’t worry. Even if he has connections with some big shot, what can he do? At most, he can secure some resources for himself. Can he really suppress you across companies? Besides, you still have our company. Didn’t Wu say that both Chairman Liang and Chairman Ning have high hopes for you? Han Lingran is not someone like Bao Si or Daji. The big shots won’t be foolish enough to compete with a company for him. It’s not like he’s starring in an idol drama. Just because he’s hot now doesn’t mean he will stay hot forever. Also, I suspect that at most, he’s befriended some higher-ups in the company…”
But what if the big shot offers something to the company that makes them happy? With Jiang Yi’s current status, it would be easy to secretly stall for a year or more. By then, Han Lingran would be popular and confident enough to challenge him effortlessly.
Jiang Yi thought about this but didn’t say it out loud. Ultimately, it came down to him not being famous enough. If he had become famous before Han Lingran, demonstrated his value, and shown that he was irreplaceable, the role change wouldn’t have been so easily brushed aside. At least the company would have communicated with him beforehand.
Of course, this was just a hypothesis. Chen Dan’s thoughts were more realistic. Big shots didn’t acquire their wealth overnight.
With this interlude, both of them were in a slightly sour mood.
Jiang Yi wasn’t afraid of Han Lingran, but he found the situation troublesome. It was better to offend an honorable man than a small-minded person like Han Lingran, who could strike at any moment.
Chen Dan was more concerned about the matter. By the time they reached the airport, he had already thought of several solutions.
Thanks to the late-loving nature of domestic flights, although the two of them took a trip to the company midway, they still arrived before Jiang Ai’s plane landed.
“Wait in the car, I’ll handle it,” Chen Dan instructed as he got out of the car.
The awkwardness of being an 18th-tier celebrity lies here. If they wear hats and masks in public, many people won’t recognize them, but if someone does recognize them and takes a picture, it might end up on the internet with comments accusing them of pretending to be a celebrity. On the other hand, if they don’t wear hats and masks, someone might still recognize them and take pictures, creating potential trouble if there are family members or friends from outside the entertainment circle around.
In the modern age of the internet, it takes mere seconds for passersby to snap and share photos. As for issues of portrait rights, most people in China don’t have that awareness. It’s not uncommon to see pictures of handsome guys taken on subways and in libraries circulating widely with comments praising their looks and requesting more photos. Few people condemn such unauthorized photos being shared online.
Jiang Yi didn’t mind being photographed, but Jiang Ai was still young and not a celebrity. Her privacy needed to be protected, especially since Jiang Yi had some extreme fans. To prevent unnecessary trouble for Jiang Ai, they had to be careful.
After more than ten minutes, a girl with her hair tied into a ponytail followed Chen Dan.
The moment Jiang Yi saw the girl, an indescribable feeling surged in his heart, and related memories emerged uncontrollably.
He was taken aback; this was the first time he felt the emotions of the original body.
Before, those memories were dry and detached, as if he was just an observer in a movie theater, unable to empathize.
He never expected to be able to feel the original body’s emotions.
Although he had video chatted with Jiang Ai and their parents, the memories of that time didn’t evoke this feeling. Now, just by seeing her in person, all those emotions flooded back.
Could this be the power of family affection?
It was fascinating.
Jiang Yi didn’t dislike this sensation; on the contrary, he found it intriguing. He touched his chest and savored the feeling until Jiang Ai approached, snapping him back to reality.
Although Jiang Yi and the original body looked exactly the same, Jiang Ai’s appearance was different from that of their parents and other relatives in his past life.
Unlike the original body, which inherited all the good traits of both parents, Jiang Ai’s appearance wasn’t as stunning. She had an enduring beauty and was a smart, studious young girl, but she wasn’t as eye-catching as the original body.
However, that was only true when it came to her family. In front of them, Jiang Ai looked as precious as ever.
“Open the door!” Jiang Ai rushed over and, after Jiang Yi moved to the back seat, she closed the door with one hand and hugged him with the other. Then, she pulled away with a look of disdain. “You’ve gained weight.”
Unreservedly, she patted Jiang Yin’s belly, “Jiang Yin, what have you been doing lately? Why did your abs disappear?”
Chen Dan turned his head instantly, “See? I told you. You should eat less. Even Xiao Ai noticed that you’ve gained weight.”
Jiang Yin felt helpless. He genuinely didn’t think he was fat. He could easily gain ten more pounds. Who even came up with the notion of a paper-thin beauty standard?
“Xiao Ai, you must help me persuade your brother,” Chen Dan immediately stood with Jiang Ai, “You have no idea how much weight he’s gained recently. I can’t persuade him at all. He secretly orders takeout behind my back, thinking I wouldn’t know. The new drama is about to start, and it’s a modern one. When the camera rolls, he’ll appear twice as fat.”
Jiang Yin diverted Jiang Ai’s gaze, and decisively changed the topic, “I have good news for you. I’m going to play the male lead.”
“Really?” Jiang Ai was so thrilled that she almost jumped, “Well done, Jiang Xiaoyin!”
“Call me brother,” Jiang Yin grabbed her ponytail and tugged it playfully, as if he had done it a thousand times before. After retracting his hand, he paused for a moment, but quickly concealed any excess emotion, not revealing the slightest bit.
Jiang Ai grinned and pinched him, “How many times do I have to tell you not to tug at my hair? If I go bald and can’t find a boyfriend, I’ll never forgive you!”
“Forget it. With your looks, how could you find a boyfriend? Don’t worry, even if you go bald, I won’t mind taking care of you.”
“Jiang Yin!”
The sibling banter continued for a while before finally ceasing.
Jiang Ai was used to this, but for Jiang Yin, it was an entirely new and magical experience. Unlike their usual exchanges via WeChat, this felt alive and engaging.
It was as if he truly had a younger sister, not the princess or empress from his past life, who avoided him for personal gain or to evade trouble. This was a real younger sister, someone with whom he had grown up, someone with whom he shared a close bond, teasing and loving each other.
He didn’t reject this kind of affection. In fact, he rather enjoyed it.
Even when Jiang Ai pinched and teased him, he felt a sense of joy deep within his heart.
This was what true family affection felt like.
Jiang Yin felt that he would never forget this feeling for the rest of his life.
“Don’t think you can fool me,” Jiang Ai said solemnly, “From now on, I’ll personally supervise your weight loss!”
Jiang Yin: “……”
He felt that he might need to consider this sibling relationship more carefully.
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Lol oh nooo. His yummy food 🤣