Chapter 20: Backstage
With the ice water in hand, there was a layer of frost on the outside.
All the other beverages were hot, but only this cup was cool.
Lou Ting liked drinking ice water, regardless of the external temperature or weather. After sweating during training, taking a sip of ice water to cool down and relieve the heat was the most comfortable thing to do.
The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.
Zyd Hktl zssjle yv bkp nwr sq knl oyvla vbyv pvsse swv qasx vbl alpv yde ypjle, “Ps usw jdso Tl Zwdgbsw?”
Nsw Mkdt’p lmralppksd qasgl qsa y xsxldv, dsv jdsokdt bso vs ydpola.
Fyukdt vbyv bl jdlo bkx pllxle kdynnwayvl. Gqvla yzz, vblu bye sdzu xlv y qlo vkxlp. Jwv kq bl nzykxle dsv vs jdso bkx, kv oswze cl byae vs lmrzykd vbl pktdkqknydnl sq vbkp nwr sq knl oyvla.
“Tlu, prlyjkdt sq kv, bso eke UOX Tl pweeldzu kdhkvl wp qsa xkzj vly?”
“I don’t know… but I heard that in these talent shows, if someone catches the attention of a big shot in the industry, they would contact them privately. Maybe someone has caught the interest of a big shot.”
“Really? Is it like that?”
“Yeah, this kind of thing happens quite often. I just haven’t been lucky enough. But hey, getting a free cup of milk tea is not bad either.”
…
Lou Ting listened to their conversation and bit on the straw. Indeed, this kind of thing did happen.
Recently, the talent show “Youth Returns” had become popular, and several contestants gained a huge following. It was inevitable for some people to have ulterior motives. However, those were just a few cases, and most of them were young newcomers who genuinely fell in love and even got married recently.
Why were they describing it in such a strange way?
“Youth Returns” was just a show about making a comeback.
Struggling artists with low popularity wanted to revive their careers through this opportunity, while popular artists chased after high rewards to make money. They were all seasoned veterans in the entertainment industry. If someone within the industry noticed you, you wouldn’t have to wait until now.
What they were saying made no sense at all.
Yu Yimeng sipped on his fruit tea in small sips and said, “It seems CEO He still remembers my taste.”
Everyone turned their heads in surprise at his words; they saw Yu Yimeng sigh pretentiously and say, “Ah, I thought President He wouldn’t remember that I like watermelon fruit tea with extra ice and sugar. But it seems…”
A sweet expression appeared on Yu Yimeng’s face, and when he looked up, he noticed everyone’s eyes fixed on him without blinking. He felt a little bewildered and asked, “What are you all looking at me for?”
Among them, Gu Yi couldn’t hold back and asked straight away, “Do you know He Yunzhou?”
“Mm,” Yu Yimeng replied vaguely, “I’ve just met him a few times.”
Although his answer was vague, coupled with Yu Yimeng’s shy expression, which seemed like he was being proposed to, everyone understood what he meant.
Gu Yi sighed and said, “No way, I just have one question: why is your face turning red? Is something going on between you and Mr. He? Tsk, you’re quite fast.”
The dance group didn’t have contestants who were already highly popular in the entertainment industry. Although Lou Ting’s popularity remained high now, it only happened after the live broadcast.
So, the atmosphere seemed relatively calm, without the awkwardness of a highly popular and experienced artist struggling to fit in with the team. Yan Zige frowned as he looked at Yu Yimeng, then at Lou Ting, who remained composed throughout.
Did I guess wrong? But how does He Yunzhou fit into this…?
Tsk.
Yan Zige put down his milk tea, too lazy to speculate about these things, and approached them, saying, “It’s time. Get ready and continue the training.”
Yu Yimeng quickly stood up, and Le Chengzhe, who was beside him, promptly took off his own jacket and handed it to him, saying, “You don’t look good in this outfit, and there might not be any camera shots of you from behind. Wear mine instead.”
Yu Yimeng didn’t rush to take the clothes, but instead looked moved as he raised his chin and gazed at him intently. “Then what about you?”
“I’m fine. I’m not that popular, and even if there are no shots of me, the audience would think it’s normal.”
“Well, thank you very much.” Yu Yimeng put on the intact team uniform and nodded at him gratefully.
“What are you talking about?” Yan Zige walked over with a stern face. “No whispering during training!”
Yu Yimeng didn’t dare to provoke Yan Zige and quickly replied, “Yes!”
Lou Ting was still continuing his leg stretches, which seemed relatively monotonous compared to the training content of the others. It seemed like Yan Zige placed great emphasis on leg stretches.
Yan Zige came back around and adjusted the leg stretching bar higher, saying, “The first performance is in seven days. The dance routine for trainees should be straightforward for you. I made a few modifications for the center position, involving moves like splits, squatting, and aerial flips. You need to achieve that level of flexibility within the next seven days.”
Lou Ting: “…”
Seven days?
Even if you break my legs and reattach them, it’s still not that quick.
Lou Ting said seriously, “I think Yu Yimeng is well-suited for the center position.”
If Yu Yimeng becomes the center, I might as well help you stretch his legs.
“Forget it. I’ll stretch your legs.” Yan Zige used eight simple words to shut down Lou Ting’s idea of giving up the center position.
Lou Ting sighed and asked, “Is it still possible to switch positions now?”
Yan Zige, who had been annoyed by Yu Yimeng’s presence, suddenly found Lou Ting’s comment amusing. He said, “Don’t even think about it. Don’t worry, since I’ve arranged this dance, how could I not have any preparations? I’ll give them to you when the time comes.”
Lou Ting, who had originally wanted to surprise them with his training, wasn’t in a hurry anymore. He jokingly said, “Then I’ll thank Mentor Yan in advance for giving me a way out.”
Yan Zige snorted lightly and continued to increase the intensity of his training for Lou Ting.
Knock, knock, knock. The sound of knocking echoed, and everyone in the training room looked up.
The director walked in and said, “He Yunzhou is here.”
Although he was looking at Lou Ting when he said it, due to the angle, the other trainees didn’t notice where his gaze landed. The five words “He Yunzhou is here” felt like a splash of cold water on a hot pan, instantly causing a boiling sensation!
The previous discussion was like seeing someone on TV, casually exchanging a few words with them. But now, that person is standing right in front of you! Who wouldn’t be excited?!
Handsome, wealthy, and of noble status. Who wouldn’t want to curry favor with him?
“Oh my god! Is it true? He Yunzhou is here!”
“Oh my god, it’s He Yunzhou, my goodness!”
“Unbelievable… Who could He Yunzhou be here to see?”
Gu Yi said, “Xiao Yu, he’s here to see you, definitely. He just sent you bubble tea, and you didn’t reply, so he couldn’t wait and came to find you!”
Yu Yimeng was taken aback, and his face turned red after hearing Gu Yi’s words. Is it true? He Yunzhou came to see him?!
He had only crossed paths with He Yunzhou a few times, and every time they met, He Yunzhou was always cold and never paid attention to him. He thought He Yunzhou didn’t remember him, but he didn’t expect… he almost missed it!
Le Chengzhe cleared his throat and said, “He Yunzhou is looking for you. Go quickly.”
Yu Yimeng nodded heavily. “Okay!”
The director completely missed the drama that unfolded here and continued talking to Lou Ting, saying, “Training is almost over, right? Go out and take a look. He Yunzhou came personally. It’s not appropriate for you to stay here.”
The previous delivery of bubble tea was done by an assistant, so the director didn’t pay much attention to it. But when he saw He Yunzhou walking in person, his heart couldn’t stop racing.
Who was He Yunzhou? He controlled the financial lifeline of the entire empire! Not only that, he also held a position in the imperial military, and he was the younger brother of the imperial monarch. With these identities, who wouldn’t have an instinctive increase in heart rate upon seeing him?
Lou Ting glanced at Yu Yimeng, who was surrounded by a few people over there. What they said just now seemed to be true, and Lou Ting couldn’t help but believe it to some extent. Now the director called him to go out, and he couldn’t help but ask, “He’s here to see me?”
He didn’t want to go out and end up in an awkward situation where He Yunzhou wasn’t looking for him.
At this moment, Yu Yimeng walked over and smiled, saying, “Director.”
The director had a deep impression of Yu Yimeng but was still concerned about his sister, so he smiled at him but with reservations.
Yu Yimeng said, “Mr. He is here to see me. I’ll go out first.”
The director was taken aback, and Lou Ting shrugged at him, indicating that he might have made a mistake.
“Oh, wait… that’s not good,” the director scratched his head.
Just as Yu Yimeng and the director passed each other, He Yunzhou walked in.
He Yunzhou, dressed impeccably in a suit, stood out against the ink-like darkness behind him, enhancing his deep and three-dimensional features.
He Yunzhou furrowed his brows and spoke in a deep voice, “Why is it taking so long?”
Yu Yimeng made eye contact with him and immediately blushed. His Omega pheromones couldn’t be controlled, causing chaos in the room.
Yu Yimeng shyly lowered his head and raised his hand, wanting to hold He Yunzhou’s hand. “I…”
In the next moment, He Yunzhou bypassed the pillar in front of him and walked over to Lou Ting. He asked in a soft voice, “Still training?”
Onlookers widened their eyes, eagerly waiting to see the affectionate interaction between the two trainees. “?!!”
What kind of plot twist is this?!
Lou Ting glanced at the motionless Yu Yimeng and said, “It’s almost over.” He was referring to the original training time.
Yan Zige took a sip of his bubble tea, turned his back, and casually said, “Lou Ting’s training for today is already complete. You can go back first.”
He Yunzhou said, “Thank you.”
Lou Ting, with the straw in his mouth, looked bewildered.
Seeing Lou Ting in a daze, He Yunzhou grabbed his wrist and led him out, saying, “There’s something I want to talk to you about outside.”
Lou Ting nodded, “Okay.”
At the entrance, Yu Yimeng was still standing in place, unmoving. To leave, He Yunzhou had to pass by him, but He Yunzhou didn’t even glance at him and simply walked around.
Yu Yimeng, with tears in his eyes, was about to speak, but before he could, He Yunzhou had already pulled Lou Ting away and gone far.
For a moment, Yu Yimeng felt even more heartbroken. He didn’t dare to look back at everyone’s reaction and quietly ran out, sobbing.
Gu Yi: “…”
This is so awkward.
Le Chengzhe: “…”
“He doesn’t know He Yunzhou, so why is he pretending? Give me back my team uniform.”
—
Lou Ting silently followed behind He Yunzhou, his gaze fixed on He Yunzhou’s left hand—the hand that was gripping his wrist.
Unaware of Lou Ting’s unease, He Yunzhou said, “Are you hungry? Let’s find a place to eat and talk.”
“I’m not hungry. I have to return to the dormitory soon. If there’s something you want to talk about, just say it,” Lou Ting paused and asked, “Is it about the divorce?”
“No,” He Yunzhou said helplessly, “I’m acting on orders.”
The only person who could make He Yunzhou use that term, aside from the Empire’s monarch and queen, was none other than Ji Xing.
Considering that Lou Ting had met the queen before, he guessed, “Ji Xing?”
“Yes,” He Yunzhou said, “I might need to collect a small blood sample from you. Instead of going to a restaurant, how about finding a coffee shop?”
It was too cold outside, and fingers were the most vulnerable to freezing. He Yunzhou wanted to find a warm place.
Lou Ting wasn’t familiar with the area either, so after thinking it over, he suggested, “Let’s go to my dormitory.”
That way, He Yunzhou could rest immediately after the blood collection, and they would still have time during the journey.
“Okay,” He Yunzhou had no objections.
The dormitory had a constant temperature system. Although it wasn’t particularly warm, there was still a significant temperature difference compared to the outside.
Lou Ting poured a cup of hot tea for He Yunzhou while he himself drank cold water.
Lou Ting sat on the chair and asked, “How are you going to collect the blood?”
“Give me your hand,” He Yunzhou instructed.
Lou Ting complied.
He Yunzhou took out the prepared equipment, a strip-shaped object wrapped around Lou Ting’s wrist, and after preparing the device, it automatically collected the blood.
Seeing Lou Ting’s indifferent demeanor, He Yunzhou couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll use your blood for something harmful to you?”
Lou Ting appeared so calm and unconcerned that He Yunzhou felt it would be better to make him slightly wary.
Lou Ting raised an eyebrow and counter-questioned, “If you wanted to do something harmful to me, would you need to personally come here?”
He Yunzhou paused, chuckled, and said, “You’re quite clever.”
He refrained from delivering the long lecture he had prepared. He Yunzhou couldn’t help but feel somewhat helpless.
But it made sense. With his status, if he wanted to collect blood, he could easily arrange for a few people to come over and find an excuse. Lou Ting would have no way to refuse. Or perhaps, even without providing a reason, He Yunzhou could use his authority to pressure Lou Ting, and he would have no choice but to comply.
Therefore, personally coming here was the most troublesome and tedious option for He Yunzhou.
Lou Ting moved his fingers. The instrument used for blood collection resembled those used to measure blood pressure in ancient Earth, which was somewhat novel.
He Yunzhou asked, “Does it hurt?” He prepared to close the device.
Lou Ting quickly pressed down on his hand and said, “It doesn’t hurt, just curious.”
He Yunzhou said, “Hmm.”
After speaking, He Yunzhou lowered his head and looked at Lou Ting’s hand.
Originally, it was just an impulsive action, and Lou Ting didn’t think much of it. But now, with He Yunzhou staring at his hand, Lou Ting inexplicably felt a slight warmth on the back of his hand. However, raising his hand suddenly would appear too deliberate. At this moment, Lou Ting didn’t know whether he should retract his hand or not.
Unfortunately, He Yunzhou remained silent.
Perhaps the constant temperature system in the room was malfunctioning, but Lou Ting felt an inexplicable rise in temperature, making him feel hot and parched.
Lou Ting’s fingertips trembled slightly as he suppressed the abnormal heartbeat in his chest. He casually withdrew his hand as if nothing had happened but kept his head lowered, his gaze slightly restrained. It was as if he was trying to divert the topic as he spoke, “By the way, Mr. He, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“Hmm?”
Opening his mouth under such awkward circumstances, Lou Ting’s mind went blank. Suddenly, he remembered what happened in the training room earlier and asked, “Do you know Yu Yimeng?”
He Yunzhou furrowed his brow and asked, “Who?”
It was clear that he didn’t know the person Lou Ting mentioned.
Lou Ting said, “The Omega who blocked the door just now.”
He Yunzhou shook his head, indicating he didn’t know.
Lou Ting thought that perhaps the people He Yunzhou usually interacted with had higher status. Although Yu Yimeng had some popularity, he was just a minor actor. Thinking along those lines, Lou Ting added, “The person is related Liang Caijin, the younger brother of Liang’s talent agency’s manager.”
By expanding the identity a bit, maybe He Yunzhou would remember.
He Yunzhou nodded and said, “I’ve seen him a few times at parties but never spoken to him.”
Lou Ting thought to himself, “…”
Now I think I understand what Yu Yimeng meant by saying he had seen He Yunzhou a few times.
This “seen a few times” doesn’t seem to be any different from Yu Yimeng unilaterally claiming to have seen He Yunzhou on TV.
They focus on the bloodletting again. A small amount of blood withdrawal is beneficial to the body, but excessive blood loss can be harmful.
“Alright.” He Yunzhou had been calculating the amount while speaking, and now he dismantled the equipment.
Lou Ting raised his hand and looked at the tiny red dot in the center of his wrist. This should be the wound left by the blood collection just now.
Seeing him staring at the wound, He Yunzhou thought he might be feeling pain. “Does it hurt a lot?”
The wound was small, but it was probably deep, causing a slight prickling sensation. However, it was nothing significant for Lou Ting, and he instinctively wanted to say it didn’t hurt.
Before he could speak, He Yunzhou had already started applying ointment to his wrist.
“The therapeutic device can’t heal deep wounds, so I’ll apply some ointment for you. It’ll heal quickly.”
With the ointment already applied, it was too late to refuse.
Lou Ting said, “…Hmm.”
And so, Lou Ting watched as He Yunzhou applied ointment to his wrist, repeatedly and meticulously.
Lou Ting found it strange. The wound, smaller than the tip of a needle, would have almost healed within the blink of an eye. Why did He Yunzhou apply so much ointment?
At first, Lou Ting patiently waited for He Yunzhou to finish applying the ointment. However, he waited for a while, and every time He Yunzhou finished one tube, he would take out another one from the medical kit and apply it to the wound before moving on to the next.
By the end, Lou Ting was getting a bit sleepy and asked, “Is it necessary to apply so much ointment?”
“Yes,” He Yunzhou replied. “Omegas have weaker bodies, and even small wounds can be life-threatening for those with poor health. We can’t be careless.”
Lou Ting hadn’t considered that someone would say his body was weak. Hmm… Is it because my punches aren’t strong enough?
Lou Ting said, “But isn’t this too much ointment?”
Even though Omegas have weaker bodies, it shouldn’t require this much.
“I asked the doctor before I came, and he recommended these ointments to me.” He Yunzhou was prepared in advance and showed Lou Ting their chat history. “Take a look.”
He Yunzhou: [What medicine should be used after blood collection?]
Doctor: [Patients generally don’t feel much pain after blood collection, so there’s no need for medication.]
He Yunzhou: [What medicine then?]
Then there was a list of medication names.
Lou Ting looked at the densely packed names and felt skeptical. In the era of interstellar advancement, why would such a small wound require so many ointments?
Scrolling down to the bottom, the doctor added: [These medicines can relieve pain and help the wound recover faster.]
Lou Ting: “???”
Lou Ting struggled with the meaning of the doctor’s words and said, “I think… the doctor means that any one of these ointments can be used.”
“…?” He Yunzhou raised his head and had a moment of confusion. He flipped through his phone up and down several times.
Lou Ting watched his gradually dazed expression and felt that he might have interpreted the same meaning as himself.
Putting down his phone, He Yunzhou stared at the wound that was already submerged in ointment and remained speechless for a while. He had never used such things before, and all he wanted was to ensure Lou Ting wouldn’t get hurt from the blood collection. So he bought all the recommended ointments together.
He never expected there would be so much to consider when applying the ointment.
After a while, He Yunzhou slowly lifted his head.
Lou Ting had been suppressing his smile, but at this moment, their eyes met, and both of them couldn’t help but burst into laughter, their eyes crinkling with amusement.
“Hahaha… Hahaha… The doctor must be in tears.”
“You…” He Yunzhou looked at Lou Ting laughing and couldn’t help but join in, saying, “Stop laughing and go wash it off.”
Lou Ting said, “It’s okay. When you applied the ointment, you wiped off the previous layer, so after all the applications, only the last layer remains.”
After saying that, Lou Ting couldn’t help but curl up his lips and whispered, “Silly.”
**************
Translator’s note: Hahahaha. So silly.
*********
Other Novels:
Managing a Divine Beast Kindergarten in the Immortal Realm
Refusing to Please, She Becomes A Money Spending Sensation
atOptions = {
‘key’ : ‘819083b5141e2ddc81cd1b66b82e3d92’,
‘format’ : ‘iframe’,
‘height’ : 250,
‘width’ : 300,
‘params’ : {}
};
document.write(”);
Thanks for the update
You're welcome!
Thanks for the chapter! That was cute, ML
Yes, the ML's awkwardness is so cute. hehe.
Jajajaja