Fan Qing wanted to remove the trending topic.
It wasn’t for any other reason.
He looked down at the floor.
Red strips of fabric had been torn into pieces, scattered across the floor, their vivid color impossible to ignore against the pale wooden planks.
Among them were two ragged little scraps, along with other bits of clothing.
Fan Qing: …
Too late to remove the trending now. Could they even replicate a costume in time?
While Fan Qing was pondering, Nie Luo emerged from the bathroom, clean and refreshed.
His thighs still bore clear scratch marks, and his chest was covered in dense, scattered kiss marks.
He held a towel in one hand, drying his hair, while water droplets occasionally fell over the lines on his skin, making the sight almost incendiary.
“Fan Qing, what’s wrong?”
Why did Fan Qing look… off?
Nie Luo walked closer, instinctively asking,
“Because we didn’t bathe together?”
But didn’t Fan Qing say he wanted to stay a little longer?
And later, when he washed Fan Qing, they would be together anyway.
Fan Qing stared at him for a long moment.
…Tsk, that lifted his mood again.
No matter how wild the speculation online got, Nie Luo was still his.
Thinking that, Fan Qing gave him another thorough, appreciative look from head to toe.
Nie Luo: Why did A-Qing’s gaze suddenly change?
He paused, hand in his hair.
Or… shouldn’t the towel be arranged differently?
Maybe it should be wrapped lower?
But A-Qing had said he liked it before…
“Brother, you’re trending.”
Nie Luo flushed again?
His boyfriend really was easy to embarrass.
Fan Qing, noticing, quickly switched topics.
“Trending? Me? Why?”
Seeing Fan Qing avert his gaze, Nie Luo felt a faint regret.
He liked being watched like that.
Just… it was a little frustrating.
But… what trending?
Nie Luo dried his hair and walked over, asking,
“A-Qing, are you taking a bath?”
“Not in a hurry. I’ll linger a bit.”
After finally enjoying a taste of fat, he wanted to savor it a little longer.
Fan Qing shifted into a prone position.
Nie Luo’s eyes flickered, his breath catching.
He silently came over and pulled the bed sheet over them.
A-Qing always liked teasing me.
He already saw right through it!
…Tsk.
Fan Qing felt a tiny bit disappointed, then started explaining the trending topic.
Speaking of it, his expression was slightly awkward.
“…It’s not really anything serious. Your director seems to have misunderstood something, so your fans think you brought back that costume to give them as a fan benefit.”
But the problem was…
Fan Qing’s gaze fell to the floor.
Nie Luo clearly realized it too.
He also quietly glanced at the scattered clothing.
Both of them fell silent.
Fan Qing slowly stared at the ceiling.
It wasn’t his fault.
Nie Luo had changed into the white-haired red costume earlier, and that melancholy, tragic beauty… it made you want to… really.
So tearing a couple of pieces—what’s the big deal?
It’s perfectly normal, right?
And Nie Luo even tore his little fabric scraps too!
So, for a man, tearing a couple of clothes is completely natural.
And it was a fan service everyone secretly hoped for…
Nie Luo was unusually speechless.
He knew it wasn’t A-Qing’s fault.
But the director wasn’t wrong either, and the fans’ expectations were justified.
It was just… when the two things coincided, it became a “problem.”
Nie Luo thought for a solid five seconds before slowly speaking.
“Is it too late to remove the trending topic now?”
Fan Qing immediately laughed.
“Brother, that’s what they call telepathy!”
Exactly what he was thinking too!
But after Fan Qing contacted PR and Nie Luo contacted his studio, the two learned—it was impossible to remove the trending topic.
Way too late. And with “Mountains and Rivers” trending so hot, Nie Luo even gained fans faster from this wave!
At Nie Luo’s level, every new fan was hard-earned.
Fan Qing: …
Nie Luo: …
So, this fan service—could we really not give it?
Fan Qing was at a rare loss for words.
His gaze fell again to the strips of fabric on the floor.
If he could turn back time, he would—still tear them.
Who could resist?
It was just too thrilling.
Fan Qing reminisced, and Nie Luo leaned over to kiss him.
He thought seriously for a moment.
“I’ll contact someone I know to make another set. It’s still in time.”
He paused.
“If A-Qing wants, I can have them make two more sets?”
Fan Qing’s eyes lit up.
There was such a solution?
Nie Luo lightly cleared his throat.
“A-Qing, do you want them?”
“Of course… no need.”
Fan Qing leaned over and kissed him twice.
“You don’t need to go. I’ll handle it.”
If Nie Luo went, the people making the clothes probably couldn’t keep it a secret.
In times like this, who wouldn’t want to use exclusive news to make a little money?
Plus, he had a good idea.
Fan Qing gently stroked Nie Luo’s cheek, smiling.
“Perfect, I’ve got a solution.”
What solution?
Nie Luo was about to ask when he saw Fan Qing get up and leave the bed.
Instinctively, his gaze followed.
Weren’t they supposed to bathe together?
The trending heat lasted until the next day.
At 10 a.m., Nie Luo’s fans were thrilled to discover—he had posted a new Weibo!!!
Big excitement everywhere!
They dove straight in and saw:
“Nie Luo v: I originally wanted to give fans a small surprise, but I didn’t expect so many people to be anticipating it. A small surprise alone seems insufficient to repay your support. So, there will be an even bigger surprise later. Thank you for your continued support.”
“Ahhhhhh! Nie Luo posted on Weibo, everyone! Did you see what he said? He truly thinks about us! He loves us, sniff sniff!”
“I saw it, family! I’m crying tears of joy! What is this bigger surprise? Can I know in advance?”
“Even so, Nie Luo is really so gentle! Honestly, even just giving a little benefit with that costume would be enough for me. But I’m even more excited for the bigger surprise he promised. Please! Fill it with surprises! I just love it when the person I love treats me so well, so attentively, sniff sniff!”
“I feel like I could burst with happiness! Am I starting to look forward to it too early, family?”
“Not at all! Let’s all look forward to it together, hahaha.”
Some attentive fans quickly noticed—not only did Nie Luo post on Weibo, even his new studio’s account shared the post.
The studio sharing it!
That only confirmed that a big surprise was coming.
Nie Luo’s promised fan benefit didn’t make fans wait long.
By the end of March, the domestic film festival award ceremony arrived as scheduled.
At events like this, the red carpet naturally drew the most attention.
This year was no exception.
Soon, people noticed a certain female celebrity walking near the front.
Wasn’t it Wan Lianlian?
As she stepped onto the red carpet, many of the reporters present quietly paused, exchanging whispered comments.
“How dare she show up?”
“Don’t you know? I heard she found herself a new sponsor. Look at what she’s wearing! I got a tip before—it’s a spring collection from SAOLE, the Eve series. The fact she could get it on so quickly shows some real skill.”
“You seem well-informed. Why didn’t you write it up and post it?”
“Ah, she’s barely worth the traffic she brings. Writing about it is just wasted time. I might even get scolded online for recycling old news. Better not to post.”
“That’s fair.”
Online, netizens following the red carpet were a bit exasperated.
“Honestly, I admire her. That haute couture is spring’s new release, and she actually pulls it off. But seriously, didn’t someone insist before that Jiang Mian picked her a terrible outfit? Look now—Jiang Mian’s gone, and she still looks like this?”
“Exactly, I’m dying laughing at Wan Lianlian. Her skin is thick—she still dares to walk the red carpet? Doesn’t she care about embarrassment?”
“Who knows? I’ll just enjoy the show. Tonight is mainly about the awards anyway. Wan Lianlian has nothing remarkable from last year.”
Netizens soon lost interest in Wan Lianlian.
After finishing the red carpet, she felt both anxious and annoyed.
She’d finally secured the haute couture, yet it made barely a splash.
In that instant, a wave of regret passed through her mind.
But it was too late.
Many stars attended the ceremony, mostly film-related, spanning all ages.
Not every red carpet look was dazzling, but with so many notable works, viewers were entertained regardless.
Watching, someone suddenly had a thought.
“Speaking of which, Nie Luo should be attending tonight too, right? I wonder what his red carpet look will be. Honestly, I think he’ll look good in anything.”
This seemingly ordinary comment caught Nie Luo’s fans’ attention.
Somehow, someone linked tonight’s red carpet to the “big surprise” Nie Luo had mentioned.
“…Could it be that the surprise he promised is tonight?”
“What?”
“No way!”
“That’s an interesting idea!”
Nie Luo’s fans hadn’t thought of it yet, but now they were excited.
“Could it really be…?”
“Maybe…”
“What if it actually is?”
Just then, a previously released film featuring Nie Luo was mentioned.
The fans perked up instantly, eyes wide with anticipation.
In the car, a pair of polished men’s shoes appeared, revealing bare ankles above a pair of red suit pants.
“Red! Could it be what I think it is? Mom, I’m about to lose it again!”
“!!! Could it really be him? Someone find the predictor from before! Give him a gift!!!”
“Mom, am I really about to see my husband in a red suit? Ahhh!”
Fans screamed as they glimpsed a slender waist stepping out from the car.
“…Wait, that doesn’t look like Nie Luo! But that waist! Damn, my nosebleed.”
“Whoa, that waist is way too slim! Definitely not Nie Luo—but who else in the circle has a waist like that? Let me see!”
Fans weren’t too disappointed.
This meant they were about to enjoy a double surprise!
Next moment, Yuan Jing stepped out of the car.
As he appeared, reporters paused for only a fraction of a second before snapping photos frantically.
Jiang Mian watched Yuan Jing on the live feed, momentarily stunned.
So… so handsome…
The celebrity she managed walking the red carpet could be this striking?
She lowered her head for a second, then quickly lifted it, smiling at the screen.
A star this good-looking under her management deserved her full appreciation.
Yuan Jing walked over and was immediately greeted by the host.
The host was clearly impressed.
The female host instinctively asked,
“Yuan Jing, your look today is striking. Forgive my ignorance, but which designer created this masterpiece?”
The host hit the mark perfectly.
Yuan Jing’s eyes lit up—perfect opportunity for a plug!
He straightened, enunciated clearly and loudly:
“This was arranged by Manager Jiang through Agent Fan, designed by Designer Yao. Isn’t it gorgeous? Both Jiang and I love it!”
“Oh, so it’s Designer Yao!”
The female host instinctively glanced forward but quickly retracted her gaze.
Still, she couldn’t help but think to herself.
Would Wan Lianlian regret it if she watched the footage later?
Look at that—the clothes designed by Designer Yao, the ones she had scorned, all perfectly matched Nie Luo’s temperament.
She smiled politely at Yuan Jing as she greeted him.
Yuan Jing didn’t linger. As he walked in, he gave a mischievous little grin.
“You all go check out the rest! Nie Luo is the main event later!”
His words barely fell when even the camera-wielding reporters perked up.
Their eyes locked on the red carpet.
There, a pair of impossibly long, enviable legs stepped out of the car.