AHFAFTGTTT Chapter 31
by VolareChapter 31: Liking “I don’t want to like anyone else.”
The three of them playfully finished showering, and snuggled into their blankets. Hao Yun was initially too excited to sleep because of the trip tomorrow, but the moment he hit the bed, he was out like a light, snoring away.
Contrary to what Zhou Qingqing said about his bizarre sleeping positions, snoring, and teeth-grinding, Hao Yun slept very properly. Apart from his slightly heavy breathing, he didn’t have any other bad habits.
Zhou Qingqing tucked him in, glanced at the already sleeping Xu Chengyue, and quickly stuffed his phone under the covers from the bedside table.
One-thirty in the morning.
“Zhou Qing Ge… I can see the light from your phone.”
A voice suddenly broke the silence of the room. Zhou Qingqing’s scalp tingled as he looked up from under the covers. He saw Xu Chengyue, who was sleeping on his side, staring at him with slightly narrowed eyes.
“You can see it even when it’s hidden under the covers?”
“Give me the phone. No staying up late.”
As the older brother, Zhou Qingqing felt no shame. He didn’t want to give it up, so he imitated Hao Yun, acting spoiled and cute: “Ehhh!”
The redhead’s sleep quality was excellent; the two could talk as they pleased without waking him.
“Useless.” The team leader said sternly, his face cold.
Negotiations failed, and Zhou Qingqing had no choice but to hand over his phone. He happened to catch a glimpse of an update from a cold couple fandom creator he followed, which was pure torture. His resentful gaze was practically marinating with bitterness.
Xu Chengyue softened slightly. “Are novels that good?”
“Of course! Things that don’t exist in reality can be fulfilled in the world of novels.”
Mentioning his hobby, Zhou Qingqing practically had Hao Yun possessing him, chattering away non-stop.
“For example, when you’re at a low point, you read a power fantasy, where the protagonist goes on a rampage, slapping faces left and right. If you have regrets, you read time travel and rebirth stories, reversing fate and filling in the old times. If you yearn for love, you read sweet romances, with ambiguous pining and pure growth.”
Xu Chengyue buried himself in the covers, raising his eyelids slightly. “But won’t you be even more envious if you only look for what you lack?”
“If you’re envious, then go get it.” Zhou Qingqing was a little sleepy, his mind a complete mess, unable to think about such profound questions. He yawned and casually said, “It’s like if you like someone, you should make them like you back.”
“But Zhou Qing Ge, what’s the point of liking someone?” Xu Chengyue’s voice was very soft, so soft that Zhou Qingqing wasn’t even sure if he was really speaking.
The fans liked the perfect version of him on camera. Once they found out that he didn’t match his persona, they would gradually leave.
His parents once said they liked him, but when they stopped loving each other, they saw him as a burden and carelessly abandoned him.
Ye Xiao said he liked him, but he could hurt him again and again, even going so far as to sell him off for money and power.
Ye Xiao also said that Shangguan Yaoguang liked him too, but in his memory, there was no liking, even considerable annoyance. After losing his memory, his attitude towards him was better, cuter, and they had experienced many things together, but one day he would regain his memories and then revert to how he was before…
In that light, liking didn’t seem like a good thing at all.
It couldn’t last, it couldn’t persevere, it couldn’t support each other, and it certainly couldn’t grow old together.
It would also turn everything he once had into ashes.
“I don’t want to like anyone else.”
Zhou Qingqing chuckled, rarely seeing the mature and steady team leader acting so childish.
“You have no say in that. The frequency of your heartbeat will warn you; that’s the horn signaling you’re falling in love.”
—
[First!]
[The scene is directly in the banquet hall? I thought they would start filming from the departure.]
[Who’s the first one to arrive? Wait, why does this vibe feel like a dating show?]
[Someone’s here, someone’s here! Wearing a suit, so handsome!]
[Is that Shangguan Yaoguang? Oh my god, he’s reached a new level of handsomeness. Did he eat a child? He really didn’t look like this a month ago.]
Fu Yang pushed his suitcase, arriving at this familiar place.
The sun was shining brightly, the sky was blue, the clouds were white, and a gentle breeze brought a touch of coolness.
In the villa’s back garden, the trees were lush, the flowers were blooming, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance of flowers.
As for why he said it was familiar – because this was the back garden of his family’s suburban villa.
Did his brother run out of money and rent the house out to a variety show?
Suddenly, a message popped up on his phone – [Cousin, have fun, protect my idol, I’ll be watching you on the live stream, hee]
Okay, now he knew who rented it.
The banquet hall was located on one side of the garden. Stepping inside, the first thing that caught his eye was the spacious and bright hall. A long banquet table was covered with a snow-white tablecloth, upon which were placed exquisite silver cutlery and tall wine glasses. Despite this high-end setting, there were only four items placed at the center of the table: a Transformer, a Pillow, a photo album, and a long, wrinkled paper-wrapped object of unknown nature.
A sign on the table read “First come, first served.”
“I’ll take this one.”
Fu Yang chose the Transformer, glancing at the camera. “What am I supposed to do now? There’s no one here.”
He had already dragged his feet this much, yet he was still the first to arrive.
However, no one answered him.
Fu Yang added, “Can I take one for someone else?”
Still, no one spoke.
Fu Yang revealed an evil smile. “If you don’t say anything, that means I can! I’m taking it!”
The camera hurriedly shook.
Indicating – No.
[He’s getting more and more wicked, isn’t anyone going to control him?]
[The person who can control him hasn’t arrived yet. Speaking of which, why did the group come separately?]
[Is Star trying to help someone take one? It’s really hard to guess. (laughs)]
[This show… feels like there’s a script. (points and whispers)]
“Shangguan?” A soft voice came from the doorway, filled with a hint of surprise. “Long time no see!”
Fu Yang turned around. At the door stood a young man about his age, with big eyes, a small mouth, and a pointed chin, acting like he knew him very well.
“You… who?”
Lu Baoyu covered his mouth and laughed. “You’ve played this game eight hundred times, don’t you find it boring?”
“Alright, I’ll play along with you one more time.”
“Original singer Lu Baoyu, you can also call me by my nickname, Baobao.”