ABSML Chapter 32: Celebration

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When Lin Chiang spoke, no one responded for a while.

The next movement came when Chen Zhan arrived. The small pill bottle in his pocket was discreetly hidden.

Seeing Yin Ronglan, he joked, “I looked all over outside. Thought you’d fled at the last minute.”

Yin Ronglan smiled helplessly and pulled out a chair for him.

Lin Chiang interrupted their exchange to introduce the investors one by one.

Chen Zhan had a keen eye and noticed the young man sneaking glances at him. The hesitant and furtive looks made him raise an eyebrow slightly.

The young man, feeling guilty for being caught, decided that deliberately looking away would be too obvious. Instead, he boldly went all in—he winked at Chen Zhan.

The older man scolded him. “Behave yourself.”

The young man pouted, and in that moment, Chen Zhan had already taken his seat.

In certain aspects, his demeanor was just right. After pouring tea, he gently rotated the turn table, ensuring that everyone had their share.

Lin Chiang said calmly, "Since we're investing in a film, why not go all the way?"

The older man responded, "A large-scale production isn't a bad idea. But it would have to be filmed in the second half of the year to make it in time for next year's holiday season."

"Good idea," another middle-aged man chuckled. "It might even become a surprise hit."

The young man listened in a daze, finally understanding what it meant to lie through one's teeth while adapting to the situation.

Chen Zhan, however, frowned slightly, unimpressed by the grand promises being made. It was only the beginning of the year, and who could predict what would happen by the end? There were too many uncertainties in between.

Lin Chiang slid a script across the table. "In the meantime, you can try writing a script as well. We’ll select the best option."

Chen Zhan, always eager to expand his side ventures, showed a flicker of interest upon hearing "screenwriting."

After glancing at the title, however, he simply passed the script to Yin Ronglan, letting him decide.

Yin Ronglan sat up straighter as he lowered his head to read. He looked more like he was reviewing an official document than a script. As he turned the pages one by one, Chen Zhan asked from the side, "Satisfied with what you see?"

Yin Ronglan hesitated mid-sip, lowering his cup with a complicated expression.

Meanwhile, the young man sitting across from them rubbed his nose awkwardly. That line… it sounded just like something out of a cliché romance drama.

After a long pause, Yin Ronglan finally nodded.

By the time filming began at the end of the year, he would have found the right moment to tell the truth.

As the dishes were served, the waitstaff moved carefully, and the atmosphere at the table remained subdued. Hardly anyone reached for their wine glasses, making the hangover medicine Chen Zhan had prepared completely unnecessary.

The meal proceeded in this strange atmosphere, ending without much fanfare.

Lin Chiang was never one to drag things out. As he stood up to pay the bill, the others also began to leave. The group lingered at the hotel entrance for some brief pleasantries, exchanged contact information, and then parted ways.

Chen Zhan and Yin Ronglan walked together at a leisurely pace toward the bus stop. "Nothing’s set in stone yet. The longer it drags on, the more uncertainties arise. Should we consider reaching out to others as well?"

Yin Ronglan's expression was unreadable under the neon lights. When he slightly turned his face, his tone remained as gentle as ever: "One project is enough."

Chen Zhan, knowing his tendency to always leave a backup plan, chuckled. "You’re that confident?"

Yin Ronglan responded seriously, "It's a large-scale production."

To avoid being asked where he lived, he took the initiative to add, "I’ll go back with you. I need to pick up the dog."

Chen Zhan raised an eyebrow. "The old man keeps complaining that it's eating him out of house."

Just as he had described, when the elderly neighbor saw Yin Ronglan, his expression darkened. "You trained a fine dog."

Yin Ronglan, knowing he was at fault, called the dog over. The stubborn creature immediately perked up upon seeing the person who usually fed it and ran over excitedly.

The two men stood chatting with the old man for a while. Checking the time, the old man said, "It’s late. Why not stay the night?"

Yin Ronglan was about to decline when Chen Zhan spoke up first. "If you leave now, you might miss the last bus. Taxis are too expensive."

Noting that the second part was likely the real reason, Yin Ronglan nodded to maintain his persona.

The old man's house was furnished with wooden furniture, and the small sofa Chen Zhan had given him wasn't suitable for sleeping. In the end, Yin Ronglan ended up staying at Chen Zhan's place.

"You take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."

Chen Zhan was decisive. After showering, he handed Yin Ronglan a disposable toothbrush before flopping onto the couch and closing his eyes.

Yin Ronglan could only watch and chuckle before shaking his head and lying down to sleep.

The next morning, he was awakened by the sound of typing.

Stepping into the living room, he found that Chen Zhan was already up and working at his computer.

Some subtle details revealed that, deep down, he was a workaholic.

【System: Someone is coming.】

Chen Zhan looked up, meeting his gaze. "There are eggs and bread on the table."

Yin Ronglan glanced over—the eggs were already fried, and there was an empty plate nearby, indicating that Chen Zhan had already eaten.

The scene stirred a strange feeling inside him. He stared at the dining table in silence.

Every now and then, Chen Zhan would stand up to stretch, his movements looking almost comical. Since it was Saturday, Yin Ronglan abandoned the thought of going to the office. Watching him go through a routine that resembled an elderly person’s morning exercises, he commented, "You've been updating frequently."

"I'm preparing to start a second novel."

Yin Ronglan finished breakfast and sat beside him.

Chen Zhan turned and smiled. "Help me check for typos."

Yin Ronglan nodded.

As daylight brightened, the chirping of birds filled the air. Even in the cold season, they chattered away incessantly. Chen Zhan stood up to close the window, blocking out the noise before refocusing on his writing—

..........

Even if I wanted to ignore it, the world wouldn’t let me.

Newspapers, media, even passersby on the street were all discussing the news of Lin Corporation’s CEO successfully proposing.

I started to hate going outside even more, hoping to escape the unpleasant words buzzing in my ears. An actress and a CEO—such a pairing fueled countless romantic speculations in the media.

The reports painted an idealistic love story: the two fell in love at first sight, overcame numerous obstacles, and finally ended up together. But in truth, no one understood their history better than I did.

Their first meeting was at a singing competition sponsored by Lin Corporation. I was in the audience that day, holding a sign and cheering wildly for my idol.

One of the segments featured the CEO of Lin Corporation as a guest judge, tasked with placing a floral wreath on the contestant he deemed the most outstanding.

As a devoted fan, I seized every opportunity to promote my idol. Before he even entered the venue, I had been trailing him, strategizing ways to subtly draw his attention to my goddess.

During that time, he answered four phone calls in quick succession. The competition hadn't even started yet, and his impatience was already evident.

"You handle the meeting first. I'll be there in half an hour." Another call came through, pushing his frustration to its peak.

He was in a hurry.

After coming to this conclusion, I quickly headed backstage. Unfortunately, I was stopped by the staff at the entrance. The stage manager saw my grim expression and scoffed, “Don’t push your luck.”

This person was my college classmate, whom I had pestered for a long time just to get into the audience.

“Four hundred thousand.” I grabbed him and whispered, “I have only one request—when the special guest takes the stage, make sure Jiang Ying stands in the center.”

This was easy to arrange—just a simple adjustment of the contestants' order when stepping on stage.

It was just a position, after all. The stage manager eventually nodded.

Finally, the moment came for the guest to present the wreath. Everyone was tense, watching anxiously to see whom Lin Corporation’s president would choose.

According to the show’s script, the president had to step forward and say a few words first. He stood in the center of the stage, while a row of contestants stood elegantly behind him, each spaced apart. Among them, only the goddess stood closest to him.

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

Since he was in a hurry, he would undoubtedly choose the goddess.

Sure enough, without any hesitation, he handed the wreath to the goddess and quickly left.

..........

Finishing the last sentence, Chen Zhan exhaled lightly, savoring the brief relaxation after completing his work.

Yin Ronglan’s expression was a bit strange. “Are you sure this is the truth?”

The story of Lin Chiang and Jiang Ying had once been a national hot topic. Even though Yin Ronglan wasn’t interested in the entertainment industry, he had occasionally overheard discussions in the company’s break room or cafeteria.

For a time, many people had romanticized their so-called love at first sight, as described by the media.

Chen Zhan nodded. “Of course.”

Shortly after the new chapter was published, it sparked intense discussion:

“What the hell, ‘the shortest distance between two points is a straight line’!”

“What’s terrifying is that at first, it sounds absurd, but the more you think about it, the more it makes sense.”

“I found the old episode of the show. The stage is huge, but as long as he didn’t veer off course, he really would have picked the film queen.”

“Am I the only one who feels bad for Chen Zhan? He spent 400,000 just to set up his goddess with someone else.”

“I’m shipping Chen Zhan and Lin Chiang. Don’t ask me why.”

Despite being bombarded with tags online, Lin Chiang had yet to respond. At this moment, he was at home, slightly relieved that Jiang Ying was attending an event today.

Lin’s mother, now retired, spent most of her time tending to plants. When a sensational news headline popped up on her phone, she glanced at it but said nothing. After a while, she finally asked, “It’s true, isn’t it?”

Lin Chiang nodded.

He couldn’t deny that Chen Zhan’s analysis was spot on.

Lin’s mother sighed. “Buy a small gift and apologize in person.”

There were still two hours before Jiang Ying returned—just enough time. Lin Chiang drove to a nearby mall.

The mall was packed on the weekend, but fortunately, jewelry stores tended to have more window shoppers than buyers. A sales associate enthusiastically approached him.

Lin Chiang selected a necklace. Jiang Ying had fair skin—it would suit her well.

Two high school girls walked past behind him, chatting about gossip, seemingly unaware of his presence.

“Did you check Weibo? Chen Zhan said this was the last chapter of Confession.”

“Ugh. How will we get our drama fix now?”

“Don’t worry, he posted a new story link. It’s called The Years When I Harassed the Queen of Film, and it’s supposed to start in a couple of days.”

Lin Chiang’s ears twitched. He pulled out his phone and confirmed it—this was real.

A faint trace of delight touched his otherwise icy expression.

Noticing his distraction, the sales associate asked, “Sir, would you like me to take this out for you to examine?”

“No need.” Lin Chiang put away his phone and asked, “Do you know where I can buy fireworks?”

After giving him the address of the nearest fireworks and firecrackers store, the sales associate was left puzzled—New Year’s wasn’t for a while. What was there to celebrate?

Author’s Note:

Lin Chi’ang: It’s New Year’s already!

________

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