ABSML Chapter 44: Sharing the Stage
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ANNOUNCEMENT
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Lin Chiang probably never expected that the only person who shared his opinion was, in fact, the mastermind behind it all.
Readers had long suggested adapting Confessions into a film, but Chen Zhan had always brushed it off with a laugh.
Words in a book could still be attributed to the author's subjective thoughts. But a movie? That would make it a real-life laughingstock among high society.
After returning from his trip, Chen Zhan had a lot on his plate, but things hadn’t been going smoothly since the Spring Festival.
A knock on the door. He assumed it was either Yin Ronglan or the old man from next door. But when he peered through the peephole, he saw—Chen Ru.
Since her scandalous romance was exposed, Chen Ru had been relentlessly mocked by netizens. Her already scarce resources had hit rock bottom.
She and her management team had brainstormed for nights before coming up with a foolproof plan.
They arranged for paparazzi to stake out Chen Zhan’s apartment building. If she could get inside, they’d capture some suggestive photos and spin a story around them. Even if he refused to let her in, just a picture of her entering the building would be enough for wild speculation.
After knocking for a while with no response, Chen Ru sat on the stairs, ready to wait it out. Media headlines always thrived on sensationalism—Suspected Secret Meeting, Actress Entered the Building, Didn't Leave for Three Hours—they could write anything.
Inside, Chen Zhan watered his plants. Not hearing any footsteps retreating downstairs, he raised an eyebrow.
After a moment, he set down the watering can, opened the window, and let the cold winter air rush in.
Then, he picked up his phone and started an unexpected live stream.
"Happy New Year."
There were always people scrolling through Weibo—it was just a matter of how many.
The moment Chen Zhan went live, hundreds of viewers flooded in.
The comments were full of people asking what he was selling today.
Chen Zhan chuckled and said he wasn’t promoting anything today. "Just giving back to my fans—live performance of Getting Blown by the Cold Wind."
The paparazzi downstairs, puzzled by his actions, hesitated about whether to leave.
The viewers, however, quickly caught on.
[Ancient Rendezvous: Looks like someone is secretly taking photos on the lawn.]
Even with high camera resolution, the paparazzi couldn’t see the comments. He wasn’t sure if the livestream was just a whim or a deliberate countermeasure.
To be safe, he set his camera aside, pulled out his phone, and entered the stream. The moment he saw a flood of "paparazzi spotted" comments, he panicked, pulled up his collar, and quickly ran away.
[Aloe Vera: I bet you did that on purpose.]
[Little Ghost: I second that!]
The chat flooded with +1s.
Chen Zhan shifted slightly, leaned against a cushion to block the wind, and said, "Relax, the fun part is yet to come."
The paparazzi rushed out of the neighborhood, jumped into a car, and immediately called Chen Ru. After a brief explanation, panic set in, and she bolted downstairs, desperate to flee the "crime scene."
Thanks to her last self-directed romance scandal, many people now recognized her. A woman in high heels and long boots hurrying away quickly attracted attention.
[King of Mutts: Another clout-chaser?]
[rug: I’m voting for a honey trap.]
[Rose Dance: Look how scared he is—he even started a live stream!]
[Cat Overlord: Haha, all just to prove innocence!]
With the nuisance dealt with, Chen Zhan’s expression softened. He did a giveaway to thank his audience for their support.
Once the livestream ended, he immediately shut the window and turned up the heat.
"System."
No response.
Chen Zhan ignored its silent treatment. "Don’t forget, you’re in charge of customer service now."
Logging into his alternate account, he noticed that the Lin Dad Fan Club was just 5,000 followers away from hitting 100,000.
He searched online for upcoming events. Most press conferences only listed celebrity attendees, making it difficult to gather useful information. Staring at the screen in thought for a moment, he called Yin Ronglan.
Yin picked up and immediately mentioned the livestream. "That was quite entertaining."
Chen Zhan replied modestly, "Just average." Then, he got to the point. "What event would Lin Chiang’s father be attending?"
Background chatter came from the other end. After a few seconds, Yin Ronglan answered, "There’s a wedding on the 18th this month. The whole family should be there."
"And you?"
Yin Ronglan: "I’ll be there too."
Chen Zhan wasn’t shy when he needed help. "Take me with you?"
Yin Ronglan chuckled. "Alright, I’ll let the groom know."
After hanging up, Yin suddenly recalled something Chen Zhan had once said back in Xianke Town: The only people you can rightfully bring to a reunion are family.
That was true. If they were family, he wouldn’t need to go through all this trouble—he could just take him directly.
Amused by his own wandering thoughts, he shook his head and refocused on business.
·
The wedding banquet was set for noon. Since the venue was in another district, Yin Ronglan arrived early that morning to pick up Chen Zhan.
A young man dressed formally was also in the car.
Chen Zhan: "The groom?"
"Yang Tianxia," the young man introduced himself. "The groom's son."
Chen Zhan estimated the actual age of the groom. "That’s a bold name."
Yang Tianxia adjusted his hair while looking at his phone. "I don’t understand why you’d be interested in the old man’s wedding." He yawned sleepily. "Two weddings in three years. Same thing again next year."
His words were too blunt, making them hard to respond to. Chen Zhan pressed his lips together and said, "Your father… is in great spirits."
Yang Tianxia scoffed. "Every gold digger is waiting for him to die, but the old man isn’t stupid. His assets have long been transferred to me."
It’s rare to meet someone who talks a lot yet kills the conversation. Today, Chen Zhan had met one.
Yang Tianxia pointed at Yin Ronglan, who was driving. "This guy and I were university classmates. If you need anything, just ask."
Chen Zhan: "…Nothing."
Yang Tianxia waved his hand. "Coming to a wedding banquet like this, you obviously have ulterior motives. Speak up. I’ll make it happen."
Chen Zhan kept watching the rearview mirror and, when he noticed Yin Ronglan’s glance, blinked to signal him to turn on some music so that everyone would stop talking.
Yin Ronglan smiled. "He speaks bluntly. No need for formalities."
Chen Zhan thought for a moment and then spoke directly. "If possible, help me get a seat close to Lin Chiang."
Given the well-known entanglement between him, Jiang Ying, and Lin Chiang, Yang Tianxia had certainly heard of it. He looked at him deeply. "Alright."
The wedding venue was set in a deep blue theme.
They arrived fairly early, and there weren’t many guests yet.
Yang Tianxia pointed to a table, indicating that Chen Zhan should sit there, and had the waiter add a chair.
Twenty minutes before the wedding began, Chen Zhan spotted a familiar figure.
Lin Chiang noticed him as well. His gaze froze slightly before he chose to ignore him entirely.
His family was seated at the next table. Jiang Ying, however, gave Chen Zhan a small nod.
To avoid appearing too calculated, Chen Zhan didn’t rush to approach Lin Chiang’s parents.
Yang Tianxia, seemingly not on good terms with his relatives, squeezed in at the same table.
During the meal, he and Yin Ronglan didn’t exchange much conversation—mainly because the latter always maintained a calm and gentle demeanor. No matter what Yang Tianxia said, Yin Ronglan would simply echo a phrase or two, as if playing Tai Chi.
Between the three of them, the atmosphere was particularly quiet.
While Chen Zhan was still considering how to casually bump into the Lin family again, the lighting in the venue suddenly dimmed.
The emcee smoothed his suit, ensuring it was neat, before stepping onto the stage.
Chen Zhan’s gaze swept over the venue and finally landed on the groom—who, as expected, was old enough to be the bride’s father.
Perhaps because the bride was young and the groom refused to feel old, the wedding’s pacing was lively.
The emcee, who was a TV host, had strong stage presence. After the solemn ring exchange, he even sang a blessing song. Following that, the best man and maid of honor each showcased their talents, and the atmosphere grew more festive.
As the emcee clapped his hands, the room gradually quieted.
"Next, let’s have a little interactive session," he announced with a smile. "Two tables next to each other will each send a representative to sing a duet on stage. How about that?"
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
The emcee looked at a man who had spoken up earlier. "Since you were so enthusiastic, your table should send you."
Laughter filled the room.
Chen Zhan frowned slightly and looked at Yang Tianxia.
"What do you think?" Yang Tianxia whispered. "I arranged this just for you."
He had a mischievous streak and assumed Chen Zhan wanted to confront Lin Chiang, so he deliberately set them up to share the stage.
At Lin Chiang’s table, the most eye-catching person was undoubtedly Jiang Ying. Who wouldn’t want to hear the movie queen sing?
Knowing his fiancée didn’t like such occasions, Lin Chiang stood up voluntarily.
The emcee was about to make a joke when he caught sight of Chen Zhan. He hesitated, then muttered to himself, "What a coincidence!"
His words were amplified by the microphone, drawing everyone’s attention to Chen Zhan. A brief silence followed.
In a setting like this, people tend to be bolder than usual. Someone in the crowd started chanting, "Sing together!"
More people joined in, clapping and cheering.
Chen Zhan caught a glimpse of Lin’s mother smiling, realizing this was an opportunity. He put down his chopsticks and stood up.
As the two men stepped onto the stage, the applause was thunderous.
Among the crowd, only Yin Ronglan frowned slightly, sensing another crisis for their three-person friendship.
Lin Chiang didn’t even bother forcing a polite smile. "What are we singing?" he asked the emcee.
Sensing his displeasure, the emcee chuckled awkwardly. "Anything you like."
As a secret reader of Chen Zhan’s work, the emcee was actually more concerned about whether attending this wedding would delay his next update.
Lin Chiang glanced at Chen Zhan. The latter shrugged. "I’m good with anything."
He could sing any well-known song.
After quickly searching for lyrics on his phone, Lin Chiang started the accompaniment and held out the microphone. His voice was cold. "One verse each."
Chen Zhan nodded.
He had heard Yin Ronglan sing before—his voice was magnetic, full of depth. Lin Chiang, on the other hand, had a sharper, chillier tone:
"I am a wolf from the north,
Wandering through endless wilderness…"
His voice was captivating, but all Chen Zhan could imagine was a purebred husky howling excitedly: Awooo! Awoo awooo!
"I can only bite my cold, cold teeth,
And let out two long howls…"
In Chen Zhan’s ears, it still sounded like Awoo! Awoo awooo!
"Just stop singing already," he thought, nearly gritting his teeth.
Coincidentally, every time Lin Chiang’s turn came, he sang: "I am a wolf from the north."
To those unaware of their history, his performance was simply impressive. Some even clapped along to the rhythm.
As he scanned the room, the only ones with similarly complicated expressions were Lin Chiang’s parents and Jiang Ying.
Lin’s mother was the first to break, turning her face slightly away as her shoulders trembled.
Beside her, Jiang Ying also seemed at a loss, clearly feeling uncomfortable and restless.
The most pitiful one was Chen Zhan, who was sitting closest. His eyelids twitched occasionally, and in the end, in front of everyone, he nearly shed tears—not out of sadness, but because he was struggling to hold back his laughter.
Author’s Note:
Lin Chiang: I am a wolf.
Chen Zhan: …I advise you to act like a human.
(Note: The lyrics are from Qi Qin’s song Wolf, a song with deep meaning. Don’t let Lin Chiang mislead you.)
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