CH 96.2

When Han Cheng came back, he found that the two people in the box were eating quietly without talking.

He noticed that Shen Qingshu had finished his shelled shrimp and was eating the last dessert. His eyebrows were drooping and he seemed to be thinking about something.

Han Cheng went over and sat down, leaned close to him and said, “is it delicious?”

Shen Qingshu was startled. The dessert choked in his throat and he immediately started coughing.

Han Cheng patted him on the back and handed him the tea cup in his hand, “Come on, have some water.”

Shen Qingshu didn’t pick up his teacup. He picked up his own teacup and drank the whole cup. Then he finally felt better. “You scared me to death.”

“I was wrong. I didn’t expect you to choke.” Han Cheng felt like laughing and crying, “Why are you like a child.”

Shen Qingshu glared at him and hummed, “taste it yourself.”

Han Cheng had to take a piece of dessert from the plate and put it into his mouth. It was okay and tasted better than he thought.

Bai Jian looked at the interaction between them and was full of envy. In fact, he really wants to make friends with Han Cheng. He was just embarrassed. How can people like him climb to Han Cheng? If…

Bai Jian thought that if Han Cheng could take the initiative to come to him, take the initiative to chat with him, take the initiative to eat with him, take the initiative to make friends with him, or other things, then he would not refuse.

He just didn’t dare to take the initiative to find Han Cheng.

After dinner, Bai Jian settled the bill and the three walked out together.

It’s already past 7 o’clock at this time. Han Cheng plans to send Shen Qingshu back to the crew Hotel and then go back.

He has to go to work, since tomorrow is Monday.

Bai Jian followed them all the way to the parking lot. Shen Qingshu saw that he obviously didn’t have a nanny car. He estimated that he had to take a taxi back, so he planned to give him a ride on the way.

After all, they are both actors on the same crew. They didn’t need to be too polite.

“Come with us.” He said.

Bai Jian subconsciously looked at Han Cheng.

Han Cheng said coldly, “Ask QingQing. I listen to him. Since we’ve eaten this meal, we won’t have any involvement in the future.”

Bai Jian felt a little uncomfortable and then under Shen Qingshu’s reminder, he got into the back seat..

“Come together.” Shen Qingshu said, “You don’t have a car to drive back to the hotel. It’s not worth taking a taxi.”

“Okay.” Bai Jian nodded.

Shen Qingshu turned and was ready to open the door of the rear seat. Before his hand touched the door handle, he heard Han Cheng say, “QingQing, sit in the co-pilot.”

Then he reached out and grabbed Shen Qingshu’s arm. “Come and talk with me, otherwise I’ll get sleepy driving alone.”

Shen Qingshu doesn’t believe his excuse. If he really got sleepy driving alone, can he drive alone every time he visits the crew?

However, he was in a complicated mood now, so he didn’t refuse and allowed himself to be guided into the car.

Leaving only one blank, Bai Jian, watching them silently. Then, reminded by Shen Qingshu, sat in the rear seat.

Shen Qingshu sat in the co-pilot and fastened his seat belt.

He leaned back in his chair and thought about the conversation with Bai Jian just now. Always feeling that his firm heart was now like a dry branch on a cliff.

The reason why he wants Han Cheng and Bai Jian together is for the happiness of Han Cheng. In the novel, Han Cheng only loves Bai Jian, and he only wants Bai Jian to be his lover.

He steadfastly wanted this apple.

But now, he doesn’t want to give Han Cheng this apple.

Even if he knows what he wants is an apple, even if others tell him that the mangosteen in their hand is better, more expensive and more worthy, he does not need it.

But he didn’t want to give way to the apple.

Bai Jian is too passive and unwilling to explain through problems. Compared with these two points, his lack of confidence seems to be less difficult to accept.

He leaned quietly against the window and listened to the melodious voice of a female singer in the car:

“I walked across the bridge with my umbrella, 1

You rowed a boat underneath the bridge,

Years pass like a river,

On the surface of the river is you and me,

But you got off the ship,

Leaving me for a far away place,

However, what is in the far away place

You don’t know,

I don’t know,

However,  there’s nothing in the far away,

You know,

I know,

Without you,

Simply without you. “

Shen Qingshu listened silently and looked at Han Cheng.

Han Cheng looked back at him, “What’s wrong?”

“Just want to remind you to pay attention while driving,” Shen Qingshu said.

“Don’t worry, I can drive a car, I don’t need you to remind me.”

He chuckled, with some childish pride and smugness.

If he were with Bai Jian, would he still have such a character?

That 80% misunderstanding, happening again and again. The constant miscommunication, constantly taking the initiative again and again, can Hancheng still be the same as now?

Is he really willing to let Han Cheng be ruined?

“Han Cheng, do you like yourself now?” He asked.

“Nonsense. Don’t you like yourself now?” Han Cheng asked back.

“Then, would you like to become more mature, tolerant, stable and patient, able to withstand misunderstandings and setbacks, and become more serious?”

“Then why don’t I become the twin of my gege?” Han Cheng asked him.

Shen Qingshu: ? ? ? ?

“Your brother isn’t like this, is he?”

“When he puts on airs, he comes off as mature, steady and serious.”

But that’s certainly not what he had in mind for mature, steady and serious.

Han Yu and Bai Jian, Shen Qingshu thinks Han Yu probably won’t want this apple.

In the novel, his attitude towards Bai Jian is very generic.

However, Shen Qingshu felt that from the one contact he had with Han Yu, Han Yu obviously loved Han Cheng very much. Looking at his didi who had never suffered,  bowed his head again and again, took the initiative again and again, misunderstood and felt pain again and again. He would definitely not have a good impression of Bai Jian in his heart.

The reason why he didn’t act out the “give you 1 million to leave my didi” like a bully in the dog blood novel is probably out of his love for Han Cheng.

Han Cheng wants this apple, so even if Han Yu doesn’t like it, he won’t deliberately oppose it.

Shen Qingshu felt that he gradually understood.

He wants to throw away thisapple.

However, Han Yu won’t deliberately throw it away because he is Han Cheng’s gege. He doesn’t know where to go to find a replacement for his didi if he loses this apple – after all, he is just his gege.

But he is different. He can replace the apple with his mangosteen. Especially now, Han Cheng doesn’t want the apple and is more interested in his mangosteen.

When they arrived at the hotel, Han Cheng stopped the car.

He turned to Bai Jian, “Go back first, I have something to say to QingQing.”

“Okay, thank you.” Bai Jian said politely.

“Don’t thank me. It’s QingQing’s suggestion. He let you get in the car, I just listened to him. If you want to thank someone, thank him. Don’t direct it to me.”

Bai Jian: …

Bai Jian nodded and said to Shen Qingshu, “thank you, Shen ge.”

“You’re welcome.”

Bai Jian opened the door and got down.

Han Cheng watched him walk away step by step and asked Shen Qingshu, “where’s your feedback?”

“What feedback?” Shen Qing looked at him.

“What other feedback can it be? Of course, it’s your thoughts after our contact. Didn’t you want us to try before? Now it’s over, do you still want us to be together?”

Shen Qingshu thought for a while and asked him, “do you still not want to be with him?”

“Nonsense, do I know him? Want to be with him? I know nothing about him except that his name is Bai Jian, is your age and an actor.”

“That’s not true,” Shen Qingshu remembered that they had a good talk at the dinner table. “You know what movies and books he likes, the same as yours.”

“Oh ~” Han Cheng lengthened his tone, “While you didn’t talk at that time, you were secretly listening to us. I thought you were concentrating on eating.”

“I was concentrating on eating.”

“Concentrate on eating, or concentrate on being jealous?”

Shen Qingshu stretched out his hand and pinched him, “Who is jealous! You are jealous!”

“That’s true.” Han Cheng confirmed bluntly, “Didn’t I eat you and that Meng’s vinegar? I ate a bottle! It was so sour, didn’t you notice?” 2

Shen Qingshu: … What’s good about his and Meng Zhi’s vinegar? All the contact they have is work!

“That’s what you wanted to eat.”

“There was a reason I ate it!”

Han Cheng snorted, “But you don’t have to eat vinegar. Look, I still like the novels you write. Don’t I like them more than you do?”

He leaned close to Shen Qingshu’s ear, “I not only like the novels you wrote, but also like you ~”

Shen Qingshu shied away.

“I’m going back.”

“Alas.” Han Cheng grabbed him. “You haven’t left feedback yet.”

“I… will think about it.” Shen Qingshu said, “I’ll give you three days to regret your confession.”

“No, I won’t regret it all my life.”

“Let’s see.” Shen Qingshu whispered, giving him a day to regret it.

If tomorrow he still decides to change a civet cat for the crown prince3 and Mangosteen for the apple, then change it!

Hearing his tone of voice, Han Cheng knew that Shen Qingshu was likely to put down his feudal superstitious dream. So he didn’t embarrass him and said gently, “Okay, let you think. I’ll see you again on Friday.”

Shen Qingshu was shocked. “It’s too fast. Didn’t you just rush over? Why come again next week?”

“Who makes my wife not only refuse to be my wife now, but also nominates others to be my wife?” Han Cheng sighed, “You’re so cruel, going to force your husband to die!”

Shen Qingshu: …

Shen Qingshu squinted at him. “Make clear your ambition with death? Then show your sincere love, please.”

“I don’t care. I’m just afraid that when I die, someone will die of heartache. And then the hot search will explode again. It’s too tragic to make our first public event as a couple this way.”

Shen Qingshu pushed him away. “Who is going public with you? I didn’t promise to fall in love with you. I’m still thinking about you and Bai Jian.”

“Then when you finish thinking about Bai Jian, you can stop by and think about us.” Han Cheng gave him a wink.

Shen Qingshu inexplicably felt a little heat on his face. He turned and was ready to open the door and get off. As a result, as soon as he touched the handle, he was caught by Han Cheng again.

“I haven’t finished yet.” Han Cheng said.

Shen Qingshu looked puzzled, “what else is there?”

TN: Urgh protag shou reminds me of those people who take the initiative to give up first but are unhappy when they don’t get what they want. SQS stop suppressing yourself for him!

PS: There were alot of food metaphors going on here, hope it made sense

1 I think this song was written by the author, I can’t find a reference for a real song but maybe I’m wrong.

2 Vinegar = Jealousy.

Origin: In the Tang Dynasty, there was a person named Fang Xuanling, who was a very famous prime minister. One day, the emperor wanted to give him some beautiful women,to be his concubines. However, Fang Xuanling’s wife strongly disagreed. She told the emperor that even if she died, she would still not agree to it.

The emperor said, “Sure. there is a glass of poisonous wine on the table. If you drink this wine, I will agree with your request and will not let your husband keep the concubines.” Fang Xuanling’s wife took the poisonous wine and finished drinking it all at once without any hesitation. The emperor laughed so hard and told her that it was not poisonous wine, it was just vinegar. Since then, the meaning of “chīcù” is jealousy or being jealous.

3

The story is called 狸猫换 太子, The Civet Cat for Crown Prince from the novel 三侠五义 The Three Heroes and Five Gallants

Most of the people appearing in the story are real historical figures however the story itself is different from the real history.

The story says, during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong of Song 宋真宗, the Emperor had no sons to be the next Emperor. He announced whoever gave birth to a boy first would be the queen and the kid would be the crown prince. After almost a year, Consort Li 李辰妃, an imperial concubine of Emperor Zhenzong gave birth to a boy.

Consort Liu 刘德妃, another imperial concubine of the Emperor was jealous and also wanted to be the queen herself, plotted with eunuch Guo Huai 郭槐 to secretly swap the new born prince with a skinned civet cat right after the birth. When the Emperor came to visit Consort Li and the baby, all he saw was the bloody civet cat and the rumour was out that Consort Li gave birth to a monster and she must be an evil spirit herself.

Consort Liu herself was pregnant not long after that and gave birth to a boy. The boy became the new crown prince and Consort Liu became the queen.