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Even before handing them the complete script, Carmen Clovis took the lead actors to visit the studio which had yet to be fully constructed.
The big factory-like area was surrounded by low mountains and the studio itself was located in the middle of the valley. When one looked up, you could see the blue sky which was framed by trees on all sides.
The white, iron-covered, factory-like building looked like a temporary construction and seemed very simple.
However, on walking in, it was very unusual.
All kinds of cold, gleaming weapons were hung on the walls: swords, machetes, huge hammers, bows, crossbows …
“Oh my god!” Emma twirled around, in obvious surprise. Her eyes began to shine, “These are …”
“These weapons were made for you,” Clovis said. “In the next month, the new actors will have to learn how to use them and work with them. Emma, your weapon is not here as you would be using a mage’s staff.”
“Yes, I am the queen of the elves.” Emma laughed. “It’s too bad. Why can’t I play more than one character?”
Ulm, who played the role of a warrior had already acted in some scenes. Noticing that some of the weapons from those scenes had been left behind after filming, he picked up a hammer from the weapon rack, flipped it around in his hand, and swung it in a beautiful arc: “Look!”
Emma clapped her hands and praised enthusiastically: “Awesome.”
Ulm immediately approached her: “This is my weapon; do you want to try it?”
Emma waved her hands: “No … thanks, there’s no need …”
Luo Ding approached the weapon rack, and Duan Xiubo who had followed him, whispered in a low voice, “Which one do you like?”
He shook his head, but his eyes passionately flashed over the handles of the weapons. At a glance he knew the props were exquisite. Some of the weapons even had small and complicated patterns etched on the surface, just like the helmet he had tried on the last time. The totem-like lines gave off a solemn and holy feeling.
Duan Xiubo laughed. Because Luo Ding’s personality was introverted, he had to pay close attention to find out the things he wanted to know. Just now Luo Ding’s gaze had lingered on a large sword on the side for several seconds. Coincidentally, that was his own weapon.
He reached out and removed the large sword which had a Timber Wolf pattern carved on its body. The sword was heavy. As Clovis was always willing to spend money on these details, the texture of the sword looked quite good to the naked eye.
“Do you want to try it?”
He touched Luo Ding’s shoulder and looked at the other party. Luo Ding, who clearly liked the sword, smiled widely.
“Very beautiful.”
“Yes.” Duan Xiubo stared at Luo Ding, and echoed with a slight smile, “It is very beautiful.”
The look in Duan Xiubo’s eyes suddenly made him a little uncomfortable. Luo Ding was confused by the sudden embarrassment he felt in his heart. At this moment Clovis came over.
“No, no, no, no, Luo, that’s not your weapon!” He pushed away Duan Xiubo’s hand that was about to hand over the sword and stomped away by himself to take something from a high-hanging rack and placed it into Luo Ding’s arms.
It was a bow.
The metallic, and flexible body of the bow was similar to an undulating mountain. The sharp arches at both ends were thin while the flat body was delicate and flexible, and the silvery surface was covered with vine-like patterns.
Luo Ding took a closer look and found no traces of shoddy manufacturing in any of the details. Although it was not as powerful as Duan Xiubo’s great sword, it was fresh and natural, and had a unique aesthetic feeling.
“Can you use it?” Clovis asked.
Luo Ding stroked his fingers along the strong bowstring and smiled slightly. He took a wooden arrow from the quiver beside him, stood sideways, aimed at the target on the wall and drew the bow fully.
His actions immediately attracted the attention of the people around him. The young man, with his straight posture, stared at the target with a solemn look. The flawless standard bow drawing posture was very beautiful.
Even Clovis, who was standing beside him, couldn’t help but take two steps back as a result of Luo Ding’s momentum.
After a moment, the arrow left the string, and pierced the air, shooting into the distance like lightning.
The crowd held their breath involuntarily.
“Snap”
Off target.
“Hahahahahaha!” Emma who had collected herself, patted her thigh and laughed. While pointing at Luo Ding she stomped her feet and laughed till she couldn’t speak.
There was a little silence
Luo Ding laughed at himself: “I only know how to use it, but my aim is not very good.”
Placing his large hand on Luo Ding’s his head, Duan Xiubo rubbed his hair and comforted him: “It’s fine, your bow drawing posture is very beautiful. It normally can’t be done without professional guidance.”
“Yes!” Clovis echoed. “That alone is enough! It’s great! Your bow-drawing posture is very standard and looks good. Luo, have you learned this before?”
Luo Ding hesitated and replied lightly: ” I’ve learned a few tricks from the club. It’s just to deceive people.”
Though his posture was only a few moves, you could immediately tell that he had received the training of a professional. Ordinary people could not learn such a thing within a short time. Clovis paused for a moment and smacked his tongue: “Chinese clubs …”
Fortunately, after this episode, all those who were originally a bit aloof because they didn’t know Luo Ding slowly let go of their estrangement and tried to communicate with him.
As an outsider, Luo Ding could not be too over-enthusiastic and could only passively wait for the others to take the initiative to reach out to him. He had noticed that some people had certain subtle expressions on their faces after hearing Clovis’ introduction that he was from Asia. Although, for a long time racial awareness has called for equality, no matter whether it was in their daily lives or their religions and culture, Europeans and Americans have always held a sense of superiority in their race.
“Hey!” Clovis shouted and asked everyone to familiarize themselves with the contents of the shed. Luo Ding had lowered his head to study his bow and arrows when suddenly he smelled a fragrant scent. Looking up, he saw Emma bouncing closer.
America’s sweetheart was wearing a v-neck dress with a deep neckline line. She had red lips, curly hair and was full of femininity, but with a natural. innocent and playful expression: “You’re Luo Ding? Don’t you have an English name?”
Luo Ding smiled indifferently: “You can call me Luo like Clovis does.”
Emma blinked; her expression showed slight surprise. It seemed she did not expect Luo Ding to give her such an answer: “… You are special.”
“Thank you.”
Luo Ding didn’t dare pay her too much attention, Emma probably only saw him as naïve who had landed in Hollywood, but Luo Ding had known her since his last life. Emma’s natural femininity was not in vain. She was a beauty hunter, who easily played with her suitors. Her taste in men also varied greatly. In addition to male stars, there were directors as well as politicians and even members of congress in her circle. However, it was rare to hear that Emma had used these people’s resources. It seemed she was just playing with them.
As a man, though Luo Ding enjoyed her beauty, because of his sexual orientation, it was not so pleasant for Luo Ding to be regarded as a target by the other party.
In the few minutes Emma had talked to Luo Ding, Ulm, who was holding a sledgehammer in the distance kept his gaze on him from beginning to end. It seemed he was another pitiful person that had fallen in love with Emma.
The film studio was located far away from the city. Clovis appeared to want everyone close to one another. Although filming had not officially started yet, the upcoming training activities will consume a lot of energy, so spending time in traffic every day was not wise. Thus, after much deliberation, Clovis rented out a small hotel nearby.
The hotel conditions were not bad. Although the rooms were small, the sanitary conditions were good, and the decor was very pleasing to the eye. No one, including Emma, complained. They all simply instructed their assistants to go into the city to purchase necessary supplies.
Duan Xiubo’s room was located on the left of Luo Ding’s. He helped Luo Ding organize his clothes and hang them in the closet. He asked slowly: “If you don’t like the food here, guests can borrow the hotel kitchen. You can let xiao Wu do it. Although you have to live out here you don’t need to wrong yourself. “
Thinking of the meat sausages and buttery meals he had forced himself to swallow at dinner, Luo Ding smiled bitterly. He did not expect to be found out by Duan Xiubo.
When Duan Xiubo saw his expression, he wanted to laugh: “You wait, I’ll get something for you.”
He folded the clothes halfway and put them on the bed temporarily. The sound of the door made Luo Ding relax suddenly.
He looked at the bright lights on the ceiling, closed his eyes a moment later, and stretched out his fingers to press down on his brows.
It’s weird, why was this so embarrassing?
He did not know what was wrong but since he and Duan Xiubo had stared at each other earlier today in the studio because of the big sword, every time he saw Duan Xiubo’s smile or met his eyes, Luo Ding felt his brows jump, and his heart felt strange.
This was too bad. They had obviously gotten along like this before, but the feeling seemed to have changed. This was not Duan Xiubo’s problem, it was his own problem. Just now, Duan Xiubo had naturally helped him take his clothes out of his suitcase and hung them in the closet, but this made his heart beat even faster. The other party was simply tidying up while talking and yet it made him feel like he was more than just an ordinary friend.
There was a gentle knock on the door. This small hotel didn’t even have a doorbell.
Duan Xiubo must be back. Luo Ding had no idea what he had brought. Luo Ding did a good job preparing himself mentally, smiled, and said lightly as he opened the door, “What did you bring … Emma?”
Outside the door stood an unexpected person.
Emma had changed into a long floral dress which showed off her rounded shoulders and exquisite clavicles. She had a healthy and vibrant beauty that could only be obtained through long-term exercise. Her snow-white skin glowed softly under the light. She stood at the door with a smile, while holding a bottle in one hand and two wine glasses in the other, and said: “Hey!”
“… Hey.” Luo Ding didn’t know how to react. Emma naturally leaned sideways and gracefully passed through the gap between him and the door.
Her fluttering long hair carried a strong and deceptive fragrance.
“I only just realized that I had brought some wine, Sir Gerry, 1975. The grapes grew very well that year. I have been reluctant to open this bottle of wine. Would you like to have a glass together?”
Luo Ding thought for a while, did not close the door, and answered honestly, “My alcohol tolerance is really bad.”
But Emma had already poured the wine herself. The purple liquid was thick enough to cling onto the walls of the glass, and the aroma, which had had fluttered out, was really great. However, Luo Ding was an uncultured person who did not know how to appreciate elegance.
Nevertheless it was difficult to refuse such kindness, so he took the wine glass that Emma handed over and tasted it.
The taste … was not good.
Emma, however, narrowed her eyes with enjoyment and slowly savored the wine in the most standard wine-tasting manner that Luo Ding had ever seen, before opening her eyes: “Do you know? … you make me feel just like this bottle of wine.”
Here comes the point.
Luo Ding took a step back, placed the wine glass on the TV cabinet, and avoided her eyes: “Actually, I don’t like wine.”
“……Oh?”
“I prefer Chinese liquor. Your wine is great, but unfortunately I can’t appreciate it.”
Emma’s eyebrows wrinkled slightly, as if a little unwilling. She grumbled while approaching slowly: “You only took a sip …”
“One sip was enough.” Luo Ding stretched out his arm and pressed it against her shoulder to stop the other side from drawing closer. With a smile, he replied: “Thank you for the wine. Your dress today is very beautiful.”
Emma squinted at him.
Luo Ding looked at the other party in a calm manner.
After a long time, Emma finally laughed and said, “You remind me of someone.”
Luo Ding raised an eyebrow: “Oh?”
“A person from the East, from China, just like you.” Emma shrugged her shoulders and smiled playfully again. “I think you probably know him. He was a famous Chinese star. Although you are younger and better looking, he also had his appeal, like you he also did not have an English name and he … well, unfortunately, he just passed away. “
Luo Ding slowly stood up straight and moved his hand away from her shoulder. He knew who Emma was talking about. This was not the first time he has used this method of rejection on her.
Emma sighed, opened her hand and made a helpless gesture: “Well, since you don’t like drinking wine, I should give my wine to people who can appreciate it.”
Luo Ding was just about to smile, when the fragrance suddenly approached, and a pair of red lips attacked at an unpredictable speed. He turned his head quickly but couldn’t completely avoid it. He only barely shifted the opponent’s original target slightly by two points.
Emma was a little disappointed: “You react really fast!”
Luo Ding was a little speechless. This girl …!
“Did I disturb you?” The sudden sound made both of them startled. Luo Ding suddenly remembered that he deliberately did not close the door to avoid creating any ambiguity. When he looked up, standing at the corner of the doorway was Duan Xiubo.
“Yes, yes, yes.” Emma turned and retrieved her bottle and glasses and said with a little complaining tone. “Why did you even speak?”
Duan Xiubo smiled and said to her, “Sorry.”
“Do you like to drink wine?” Emma brought the bottle closer to Duan Xiubo.
Even if the question was a little unexpected, Duan Xiubo still responded honestly: “Yes, I like it.”
“Oh! ~” Emma responded angrily, “… but I’m a picky about who shares my cup.”
She walked away swaying; the fluttering arc of the floral dress was beautiful. After Duan Xiubo watched her leave, he closed the door, held up the bottle he brought and entered the room.
Luo Ding was somewhat embarrassed after being confronted with this scene. He was also a bit embarrassed to face Duan Xiubo, who had simply continued doing his own thing. Luo Ding folded his bathrobe and asked: “What was it you brought?”
Duan Xiubo didn’t answer. When he asked a second time, the other party raised his head as if in a daze. The smile on his face was much breezier than that of Emma.
“Oh.” He seemed a little distracted and his voice was soft. “This.”
“Lao Gan Ma[1]?” Seeing the charming old lady on the bottle, Luo Ding laughed and reached out to take it. “When coming, I had intended to bring a bottle, but Fang Yuan actually forgot …”
Duan Xiubo did not hand the bottle to him. Instead, he took it back and took a few steps towards Luo Ding until he pushed the other party into the corner.
He lowered his head and stared down at Luo Ding’s lips with a direct and heated gaze.
Luo Ding’s heart grew timid, and for a moment he said in a dumb manner: “… you …”
Duan Xiubo raised his hand and slowly touched Luo Ding’s face. His thumb passed over his lips and fell on the corner of his mouth.
Duan Xiubo’s lips twitched twice. He didn’t know if he was feeling distracted or depressed. His eyes wandered again: “Lipstick.”
Oh!
Luo Ding rushed to wipe it off by himself, and glancing at his fingertips, it turned out to be lipstick left by Emma. He had a headache. He figured Duan Xiubo must have seen the scene just now and didn’t know if whether he should explain or whether doing so will only worsen the situation. His only choice was to suffer the embarrassment. “Things must be different here; the ladies are so enthusiastic.”
Duan Xiubo pursed his lips and feigned a smile: “Emma is very beautiful. More than half of the men in this crew have thoughts about her.”
“Oh, she’s indeed America’s sweetheart.” Luo Ding said with a dry laugh. “I see that Ulm also likes her. Are you interested in her too, Duan ge?”
“What do you mean? Me?” Duan Xiubo simply wanted to pry open Luo Ding’s head open to see what was inside. The scene that just passed had really hit him hard. With the thought of pleasing Luo Ding, he had gone back to his room to get the hot sauce. On his return, Luo Ding was kissing the most attractive heroine in the crew.
Emma’s charm could only be understood by looking at the docile and obedient suitors who had been accepted by her. How old was Luo Ding? How many women had he met? The domestic atmosphere was not open at all. Chinese women were like peach blossoms buds soaked in dew and the country was like a peony garden in its blooming period with pink and fresh colors everywhere. Suddenly being exposed to such a fragrant and intense beauty, how many people could resist the temptation?
Duan Xiubo’s mood was a bit complex at the moment. He felt that he should not interfere with Luo Ding’s personal feelings, but he also felt flustered and bitter. His heart was heavy.
Rubbing his fingers, the oily residue of the lipstick was still there. The redness at the corner of Luo Ding ’s lips was dazzling. The full and plump feeling when had he had grazed Luo Ding’s lips with his fingertips remained. What if he had used his lips and the tip of the tongue to taste them, what would that feel like?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
“Hehe, I’m not interested in her … smart people won’t touch her!” Duan Xiubo’s tone suddenly became heavy, “I reminded you this afternoon that many people in the crew like her. How many people will target you when the time comes! Also why did you leave the door open? “
“Because I had no idea what to do with her!” Luo Ding was very mortified. Duan Xiubo spoke as if he had been the one to take the initiative. Under these circumstances, anyone would feel wronged after being accused like this.
Duan Xiubo looked tired, and after a long silence, he shook his head and said, “I didn’t mean to yell at you, I’m tired today. Anyway, pay attention to this yourself, I’ll go back and rest first.”
He took the sauce bottle and walked towards the entrance. When his hand touched the doorknob, he paused and put the bottle on the closet shelf and then left without looking back.
Luo Ding was unhappy because he had just been questioned and treated unjustly by the person closest to him. He couldn’t endure Duan Xiubo’s accusation which confounded right and wrong. Coupled with the embarrassment of being kissed by Emma just now, as well as his helplessness over how to get along with Emma normally in the future, he was still annoyed even after taking a bath.
He turned on all the lights and sat cross-legged on the bed while reading the three-character classic and browsing Weibo.
Although he always had a mobile phone at his fingertips, he had never liked social media and thus he rarely browsed on it.
It hadn’t been long since he travelled abroad, yet he already felt like a year had passed. Because of the time difference it was still morning in china and at this time in the country, there were not many people on Weibo so most new comments on his homepage took several seconds to refresh.
The various warm compliments from the domestic fans made him feel a little better. The original “Fu Zhu Support Club”, which had been renamed the “Luo Ding Support Club”, was as prominent as ever, and many of its comments had been praised to the top.
Since Luo Ding remembered this fan, he clicked on their Weibo page and saw that the fan had already passed five digits[2]. He had probably become a relatively powerful person in the rice circle. Their home page was all about Luo Ding. Luo Ding thought twice about it but still secretly reviewed the content on the page. Sometimes he also needed to know what the latest developments in the fan circle were.
Just as he paid attention to it, a new Weibo post appeared on the fan’s home page.
It turned out that “Luo Ding Support Club” had reposted Alessandro’[3]s new Weibo. This was another familiar friend.
Alessandro said: “Heart is upset, uncomfortable, can’t sleep.”
Luo Ding Support Club responded, “Giving you support, what’s the matter?”
This fan had also become big?
Luo Ding was still a bit puzzled, He clicked onto Alessandro’s homepage to have a look and hey! his most popular post had at least four-digit comments!
Opening a picture posted on the Weibo page, Luo Ding had an impulse to cough. From the overhead angle of the shot, the couch, the ground, everywhere, literally everywhere was covered with copies of Luo Ding’s E.P.
There were at least a thousand copies here. The crux of it was that this picture posted by Alessandro was very cold and aloof, as though he was bidding farewell without saying a word.[4]
In the comments, words like “local tyrant”, “show off “, and requests to “hug their thighs[5]” appeared randomly.
The fans in the fan circle were decent. The popularity of this this person was almost as good as that of the “Luo Ding Support Club”. As this new weibo post spoke of heartbreak there were several comments underneath it.
Luo ding Fan club: “What’s the matter?”
I am taller than the sky: “What is in your heart, won’t be there if you don’t stop listening to the songs.”
I’m Luo Ding’s flower pants: “Is sister heartbroken?”
I’m Luo Ding’s white shirt: “Aunt, your sister is here.”
……
Oh, it turns out she[6] is a girl.
Luo Ding thought to himself that these local tyrants would definitely be present during his fan activities. When giving autographs he must draw her a heart.[7]
Laying back on the bed, Luo Ding sighed. He was always lonely in foreign countries. In the past, there was no one to talk to, and he did not understand the language. Sometimes even when he was scolded to his face, he did not understand what it meant. He had needed to rely on himself. But now, he had quarreled over this little thing with a good friend like Duan Xiubo. The mood after the quarrel was even more uncomfortable than when someone was pointing at his nose and calling him trash.
Opening his eyes, it was ten o’clock. There was a sudden buzz in the room.
The phone on the bedside table rang, and the screen flickered. Luo Ding picked it up, looked at the screen and felt very surprised.
“Tommy Lee”
This was the first time this person had called since Luo Ding had arrived.
After saying hello, the sound of whistling wind and heavy breathing could be heard through the handset.
“Hello?”
Tommy Lee said in Chinese, “Luo Ding?”
“Yes, it’s me. Should I call you Tommy Lee or Lee Tommy?”
“Whatever you want,” said Tommy Lee. “I heard you’re back in America. Where are you now?”
“I’m in a hotel near the crew and I’m about to go to bed.”
“Why–” Tommy Lee seemed very disapproving. “What time is it? How can you sleep now? I know where you are. I’ll pick you up now, get dressed quickly.”
“Hey!” Luo Ding sat up in surprise, “Why? Why are you coming to pick me up?”
“Get your clothes on!” Tommy Lee said and hung up.
He doesn’t give people a chance to refuse at all. If you call again, the other party will likely not answer.
This young man whose psychological age was much younger than his biological age always did things like this. He had always been self-centered and did not listen to objections. Luo Ding was so enraged, yet he had no choice but to get up and dress up in accordance to Tommy Lee’s wishes. Fortunately, he was not sleepy at all. His biological clock caused him to act like it was morning in china.
Though Tommy Lee had an open-minded personality, he was never a low-key person in private. The sports car he chose was the most dazzling red and the tires on the car had also been modified. When the lights on them turned on, it looked like fire.
As the car parked in the yard, the roar of the engine sounded, Luo Ding guessed Tommy Lee had arrived in an instant.
“Luo Ding!” Tommy Lee called him while in the car.
As Luo Ding headed out, at the same time, Duan Xiubo’s room door also opened.
Luo Ding was hurriedly walking towards Tommy Lee with his coat on, when he looked back, he saw Duan Xiubo staring at him with the light behind him. Subconsciously he explained in a low voice: “Duan ge, I don’t know what’s going on!”
“I’ll take you to a party!” Tommy Lee poked his head out. His hair was blown out in a wild and uninhibited style. He patted the door impatiently: “Come on.”
Luo Ding rubbed his forehead in a puzzled manner: “This is only the second time I’ve met you.”
“Since I’m willing, why can’t I do so?” Tommy Lee squinted his eyes and looked at him from the slits between his eyes. “I’ll do whatever I want, what does it have to do with the number of times we’ve met?”
Duan Xiubo came over: “Where are you going?”
“Supermodel party,” Tommy Lee replied.
Luo Ding had never heard of this kind of party: “What’s that?!”
Duan Xiubo seemed a to be in a dilemma over how to answer: “They are attended by government officials, businessmen, and lawyers’ associations etc. They are elite parties. More private.”
“Stars don’t get invited.” Tommy Lee seemed very smug. ” You are a smart person. I just don’t want to invite a female companion, so please accompany me.”
Luo Ding hesitated.
He was not very fond of parties, but if, as Duan Xiubo said, the attendees were the high-ranking people in European and American circles such as government officials, businessmen, and lawyers, for the future development of his career in Hollywood it would undoubtedly be helpful him to get to know such circles.
“Do you want to go?” Duan Xiubo asked out loud when he saw Luo Ding’s hesitation.
Luo Ding asked, “Are you going?”
Duan Xiubo stared at him, his eyes reflecting the light from Tommy Lee’s sports car. First a cluster of flames were ignited, and then slowly extinguished.
He said helplessly, “OK, I’ll go.”
Tommy Lee hurriedly said, “I won’t take you with me!”
Duan Xiubo smiled and gave the young man in the car a supercilious look: “I have my own invitation.”
All along the way Tommy Lee was indignant: “He actually rolled his eyes at me!”
The rumble of the sports car rang through Luo Ding’s ears, but his head was full of Duan Xiubo’s attentive but helpless gaze just now.
Without knowing it, his ears slowly turned red beginning from the earlobe.
Looking at the direction the car was headed, Luo Ding understood why he had no idea about this party in his last life.
Don Manca Hills was a gathering place for the rich in Los Angeles. Various categories of luxurious villas were hidden behind the woods, and at night, the streetlights and even the streets looked very different from that of the urban area.
It was true that ordinary people could not get involved in an event like this. The annual property tax alone was enough for common people to ruin their families, not to mention that it was impossible to own property here even if one had enough money. There were several top superstars in Hollywood who had also settled here, but every time they appeared on a show, the hosts would always discuss their residence in a proud tone, as if living here, was a glorious matter.
Countless luxury cars converged towards their destination. The car turned onto a small slope and stopped in front of a brightly lit villa in the front yard.
Sturdy black bodyguards poured out of the gate to open the door for Tommy Lee and took his keys. Tommy Lee adjusted his suit. Some people who had seen him came over to say hello and his mouth, which was full of sweet words, run like a train. In front of these people, Tommy Lee couldn’t show the bad temper he had displayed in front of Luo Ding. The smile at the corner of his mouth was clear, profound, and sincere.
“Aunt Molly, Aunt Cris …” hugging each one, Tommy Lee said with a gentle voice, “I haven’t seen you in a while, you are even more beautiful than before.”
“Oh … you sweet-mouthed little bad guy! Your mother always complains to us that you refuse to go home. It must be her fault.” The women held their husbands’ hands and smiled gracefully.
Duan Xiubo’s car was inconspicuous, black and business style. Almost no one present will choose something this.
Even the bodyguards hesitated before greeting him.
However, when the car door was opened and Duan Xiubo got out of the car, someone recognized him.
“Oh! Ike!” The eyes of one of the men who was standing bored beside his wife who was talking to Tommy Lee’s flashed. “I didn’t expect you to come! Your father would be furious, he just rejected my invitation this morning! “
Ike?
Luo Ding looked back at Duan Xiubo with some confusion. Duan Xiubo, as if not at all surprised, walked over while buttoning his jacket, “Uncle Stenis, long time no see.”
Translator’s Notes
With work having resumed post lockdown I really have just the weekends for translations. Unfortunately, each of the latest chapters are in excess of 5000 word and requires multiple weekends to complete. My apologies for the slow roll out.
Also, if you haven’t yet you should check out my other novel investment life in between RTEI updates. Griot quality guaranteed :D. Find here
Big (better late than never) THANK YOU’s to Sanchi, McJohnston and Alice for their gifts of coffee. <3
[1] 老干妈(lǎo gàn mā) (meaning Old godmother), also known as Tao Huabi, is a famous Chinese chili sauce. It is one of the most favored chili sauces in China, a must-have (必备bì bèi) in every house. It is one of the traditional flavor foods in Guizhou.




[2] Meaning over 10,000 thousand followers
[3] For those who may have forgotten, Alessandro is Duan Xiubo’s alternate account. Lol. (He’s a like a stan twitter native with a main and a burner loool).
[4] I understood this to mean he was really showing off. It was posted in a matter of fact manner.
[5] Meaning to curry favor with someone (usually someone rich or powerful). This internet slang originated from people who prayed to buddha for help. The statue of buddha in temples are usually huge and so people will ‘hug’ his thighs/legs when praying for help. See http://www.kirinmandarin.com/blog/chinese-learning-what-%E6%8A%B1%E5%A4%A7%E8%85%BF
[6] Referring to Alessandro (phew Duan Xiubo’s gets to preserve his image a while longer lol)
[7] Lucky fan. Male god Has seen your heartbreak
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Duan Xiubo and Luo Ding haven’t confirmed their feelings for each other yet, but they’ve already had their first minor disagreement XDDD Hopefully a confession is on the horizon 😉
The woman though… What’s the point of kissing a man while wearing lipstick? Is it supposed to be tasty?
Thank you for the chapter <3
Thanks for the update
Thanks for the chapter! ?
lD becoming conscious of DX is too excellent.
Thanks for the great translation ♥️
Thank you for the update. I keep visiting this site, just in case you uploaded a new one and you did. Thank you! You don’t have to worry about how long it’ll take, we’re willing to wait just… don’t drop the project. T^T I know it’s a bit selfish but I’m willing to wait for how long it will take just don’t drop it, translator-sama. Anws, have a good day and stay safe always.
Loving this! Thanks for the update.