ABSML Chapter 55: Unexpected
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ANNOUNCEMENT
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It was one o’clock when the report was submitted—utterly futile. After wasting his time, Yin Ronglan shut off the reading app.
Chen Zhan, oblivious to the troubles Yin Ronglan had just faced, was focused on social media. Just as he’d expected, several smear pieces were beginning to circulate.
Although the views were still relatively low, it was only a matter of time before the fire spread like wildfire.
Around noon, Wang Cheng, someone he hadn’t contacted in a while, suddenly called.
Since it was Wang Cheng who had helped him land his very first web drama role, Chen Zhan still held a degree of gratitude. Though, thinking back now, it seemed those “favors” during their interactions were likely aimed at currying favor with Yin Ronglan.
“I heard you're competing for a brand endorsement?” Wang Cheng got straight to the point.
Chen Zhan raised an eyebrow. “I am.”
“You might want to consider joining a company at this stage,” Wang Cheng suggested.
Chen Zhan politely declined, “I don’t like being tied down.”
There was a hint of regret in Wang Cheng’s tone. “If you ever change your mind, you can always reach out to me.” After a brief pause, he added, “Your competitors are all backed by agencies. Leaking dirt is a common tactic.”
With a hint of warning, he added, “You’d better think back and see if there’s anything you've done that might be used against you.”
Chen Zhan chuckled. “I’m a writer,” he said, pausing to look out the window. “If anything, I know what it means to have a laundry list of sins.”
The original Chen Zhan had done quite a few questionable things—aside from his relationship with Jiang Ying, he used to race cars, pick fights with thugs, and drink recklessly in his youth.
There were two effective ways to suppress scandals: drop a bigger, attention-grabbing bombshell, or keep your enemies too busy to deal with you.
[System: Host, your redemption value has just exceeded 10,000. You can now request my assistance.]
Chen Zhan walked northward, pressing his palms together and adopting a solemn expression. “I choose to pray.”
He bowed earnestly. Whether his sincerity was real or not—only he knew.
[System: Just one item can solve this. I checked your logs—you’ve only made two redemptions.]
“I don’t really believe in Buddhism,” Chen Zhan replied calmly, “but I do believe in karma.”
He suspected that redeeming too many resources at once might entangle him too deeply with the system, creating a bond that was eventually inseparable.
Of course, this was just a guess.
The system fell silent for a long time, which tipped Chen Zhan off—it sounded suspiciously like guilt. He didn’t show much emotion, just smiled and asked, “Did I hit the nail on the head?”
The system’s voice grew soft and pitiful: [It’s a good thing. It allows me to help you more easily, and also... keeps us from going out of business.]
Chen Zhan had rejected multiple systems before, and he never saw them as the weaker party.
When dealing with an unknown entity, staying cautious was absolutely essential.
So while his words might sound accepting, his actions told a different story. His current strategy was to finalize a contract to dispel any further attempts to manipulate him.
Once the idea formed, he wasted no time putting it into action.
Within half a month, Chen Zhan attended several social gatherings, meeting with various brands and subtly leaking the possibility of signing with one of them.
He remembered a conversation he once had with Lin’s mother. At the time, she had been making a beautiful dessert, smiling with curved eyes as she asked, “When does food taste the best?”
Chen Zhan had answered: when you’re cold and starving.
But Lin’s mother had said it was: when someone else wants it too.
Her answer might not have been objectively right, but it was definitely useful.
What Chen Zhan needed was to turn himself into a scarce commodity—implementing scarcity marketing.
The strategy worked quickly. After a recent event, the vineyard owner—who had been silent until now—finally reached out.
Though it was described as a dinner, when he arrived, the table only had red wine and cake.
Mrs. Wei and her son were seated on either side of a white round table. She smiled as Chen Zhan approached, “You’re very clever.”
Chen Zhan stayed composed, not digging deeper into the compliment.
Naturally, his little tricks hadn’t fooled her. But it did confirm that she was worried about him signing with another brand.
[System: You’re cheap and effective, after all.]
Chen Zhan knew that was just the system lashing out verbally, so he ignored it.
The young man, who had remained silent until now, pulled out the contract. He was more direct and straightforward than his parents. “I looked into how you make money. It’s... pretty interesting.”
Chen Zhan responded modestly and skipped over the endorsement fee, focusing instead on the penalty clause at the end. After confirming everything was in order, he was ready to sign.
The young man took a bite of dessert. “Nice and decisive. I like how easily you get on trending searches—and honestly, dealing with celebrities is a pain.”
Chen Zhan thought that last sentence was probably the real reason.
The young man gave him a quick once-over. “We’re filming the promo at the end of the month. You should let your hair grow a bit.”
Their upcoming product aimed for a romantic aesthetic. Chen Zhan’s delicate features were a perfect fit—and a major reason he had been chosen.
The man opened a photo book. “Pick one.”
Chen Zhan flipped through it—landscapes, both local and international. He quickly realized they were scouting locations for the photoshoot.
“Why not shoot indoors?”
“Indoor shots work best for heartwarming family scenes. That’s more suited to baijiu or beer ads.”
Chen Zhan imagined a family toasting with red wine and agreed—it did feel off.
After some deliberation, he chose a location within the city. A getaway shoot might’ve been nice, but he had two books to update, and his schedule was tight.
While Chen Zhan was signing his endorsement deal, Yin Ronglan was doing the same.
His partner was a foreigner, and after signing the contract, they shook hands.
“Looking forward to working with you,” Yin Ronglan said, flashing a radiant, sun-like smile.
The foreigner froze, his hand beginning to tremble. Knowing full well what kind of man Yin Ronglan was, his gut instinct screamed: something’s not right.
That very night, he flew back to Country H and gathered the company’s elite legal team to comb through the contract, word by word.
After repeated reviews, the lawyers had no choice but to admit, “There are no loopholes.”
The foreigner was still full of disbelief, but the memory of Yin Ronglan’s smile sent a chill down his spine.
Lately, things had been going well. After securing the endorsement deal, Chen Zhan began visiting the Lin household three times a week.
He’d already been caught once before, so there was no longer any need to avoid Lin Chi’ang. He usually dropped by between 6 and 8 PM to learn cooking from Lin’s mother.
A few times when Lin Chiang happened to be home, he’d throw in a few sarcastic jabs. But ever since he accidentally witnessed Chen Zhan pausing mid-chop to pull a little notebook from his apron and jot something down, he’d quieted.
That weekend, Chen Zhan needed to get his look ready for the commercial shoot. He had already arranged with Yin Ronglan to get a ride after work, as he passed by the Lin house.
Yin Ronglan had always been polite to elders. Instead of waiting in the car, he stood at the door and respectfully greeted them.
Chen Zhan put on his thick winter coat and left alongside him.
After they left, Lin Chiang frowned deeply. “That kind of smile... definitely means bad news.”
Yin Ronglan might appear gentlemanly in business, but behind that gentle smile could lie layers of calculation. And just now, as he turned to leave, he had flashed a radiant, sun-like smile.
...Cheerful, almost disturbingly pure.
For the first time, Lin’s father didn’t refute his son’s opinion. He nodded. “A bit scary, honestly.”
But the one most aware of the dissonance was Chen Zhan.
The car sped along, and several times he glanced at Yin Ronglan, as if wanting to say something but stopping short.
At a red light, their eyes suddenly met. Yin Ronglan gave a warm smile. “What’s on your mind?”
Chen Zhan took a deep breath, shook his head, and chose not to tell the truth. Instead, he murmured while looking out the window, “Just wondering what kind of style they’ll give me.”
Yin Ronglan’s tone was calm as always. “With your looks, there’s nothing to worry about.”
It wasn’t flattery—it was simply the truth.
Chen Zhan’s hair had grown a bit longer than usual, but even unstyled, it didn’t look messy or mismatched.
Most hairstylists he’d encountered were men. This time, it was a refined, intellectual woman.
After spending the morning writing and the afternoon practicing cooking, Chen Zhan was thoroughly tired. The indoor heating was warm and cozy, so he closed his eyes and let the stylist do her work.
He was woken by a gentle tap on the shoulder. A pleasant female voice behind him asked, “Do you like it?”
Chen Zhan looked into the mirror for a few seconds, slightly taken aback.
The ends of his hair were softly curled, with a few wispy bangs in the front, making his already striking features stand out even more.
If he had to describe it, it was a style that leaned more toward what girls liked. As for him, his ideal hairstyle was a buzz cut.
Convenient and easy to manage.
Yin Ronglan walked over. “Looks great.”
Chen Zhan stood up and brushed off the stray hair on his coat, casually asking, “Something good happen?”
Yin Ronglan looked confused.
Chen Zhan gently said, “Your smile today... feels a bit different.”
Yin Ronglan seemed to miss the undertone, responding lightly, “Everyone has different traits—even fictional characters.”
Chen Zhan felt like he was implying something, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it.
Styling had taken a while, and by the time they walked out, without the streetlights, it was nearly pitch-black.
After just a few steps, Chen Zhan unexpectedly tripped over nothing. As his body pitched forward, he couldn’t help but wonder if this was karma for writing Jiang Ying as flat-footed.
Yin Ronglan reached out to catch him, only to get pulled down with him.
Chen Zhan gave an embarrassed smile.
Yin Ronglan said seriously, “You’ve gained weight.”
Chen Zhan’s smile froze—not because of the comment itself.
Most guys didn’t care much about weight. What made his eyes narrow was the thing that fell from Yin Ronglan’s pocket when he hit the ground… a few strands of hair.
Even in the dim glow of the streetlamp, they were clearly visible.
Chen Zhan didn’t believe Yin Ronglan was the type to carry random hair around. The only explanation was—they were his hairs, likely from the recent haircut.
Yin Ronglan also paused in surprise.
He had taken the strands due to an old tradition from his hometown—braiding someone’s hair into a love knot was said to strengthen the relationship.
Back when Chen Zhan had dozed off and the stylist was prepping for the perm, he had taken them on a strange impulse, never expecting a situation like this.
Their eyes met in a tense silence.
“Why?” Chen Zhan asked softly, eyes lowered.
The following silence stretched endlessly. After what felt like ages, Yin Ronglan finally replied, “When I first saw you... I felt a strange connection.”
There was rare uncertainty in his voice. “It was a feeling I’d never had before, so I…”
He hesitated, then chose not to reveal the whole truth. “I wanted to get a DNA test.”
[System: Translation—so you fell in love at first sight and started wondering if he's your long-lost brother?]
Chen Zhan stayed completely calm. He stared at the hair on the ground and said evenly, “You can’t get DNA from hair alone. You need the root follicle.”
“...”
_
Author’s Note:
In a later interview—
Yin Ronglan: At the time, I had two choices: be seen as a pervert, or a lunatic.
Reporter: And what happened?
Yin Ronglan: ...They ended up thinking I was mentally challenged.
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