When Liang Yu had just debuted, he didn’t have any money, so he lived in a basement. Later, he received some more modeling jobs and was able to start renting his own apartment. It was only then that he managed to save enough money to shop at a place like IKEA. Of course, he didn’t shop there anymore. Even if it was something as simple as a vase, Liang Yu was going to buy the most expensive vase there was.

Two A-list celebrities definitely weren’t going to IKEA just for the sake of buying furniture. Zhang Man had arranged a lot of paparazzi. It was as people said within the circle. The masses loved to watch superstars show an ordinary, down-to-earth side from time to time.

Xu Jingzhe actually managed to keep the camera aimed at his left side the entire time. Sometimes, the paparazzi were so hidden that even Liang Yu didn’t notice them, but Xu Jingzhe was able to instantly point them out. Then, he would adjust his angle and positioning on the spot.

Liang Yu felt that he was a little amusing. “Don’t you think you care a little too much about your image?”

Xu Jingzhe glanced at him and said calmly, “We’re on the job right now.”

Liang Yu slightly raised his eyebrows. He seemed to want to roll his eyes, but he held himself back. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand and turned Xu Jingzhe’s face toward him. Their faces were incredibly close. From the camera’s point of view, it looked as if they were kissing, but, in actuality, he had only brushed his lips across the other’s cheek.

They maintained this pose for a second or two before Liang Yu finally put some distance between the two of them. His arms were still wrapped around Xu Jingzhe’s neck. He leaned into Xu Jingzhe’s ear and chuckled as he said, “This is what you call on the job. Remember to take some more initiative next time.”

The IKEA in Beijing was outrageously large. Even the most dedicated paparazzi wouldn’t be able to keep following for several hours on end. Xu Jingzhe actually ended up buying something. He had a bit of a compulsion to perform as realistically as possible when he was acting. In fact, the things he bought were all couples sets. For example, he got matching slippers, matching towels, and even matching toothbrush holders.

Liang Yu cooperated very well from beginning to end. The two of them were like a true same-sex couple, and not just any same-sex couple, but a couple who had been together for many, many years.

In the end, the two hard-working protagonists headed to the IKEA Restaurant for a very modest meal. Xu Jingzhe needed to lose weight, so he only ordered a vegetable salad. Liang Yu’s dinner was slightly better, opting for some chicken.

The girl who delivered the food clearly recognized them both. Xu Jingzhe smiled at her good-naturedly, prompting her to immediately pull out her phone. Perhaps due to her excitement and the fact that she was standing so close, she nearly shoved the camera right into his face.

Liang Yu held out his palm, blocking it, his tone curt. “I’m going to ask you not to take photos. Let him eat his meal in peace.”

The girl immediately apologized, her face turning red for some reason. She didn’t seem upset or anything. Rather, she seemed pretty excited about who knows what reason.

Xu Jingzhe still gave her an autograph. As she left, she said in a low voice, “I wish the both of you a long and healthy relationship! YuJing for life!”

“?” Xu Jingzhe didn’t understand, but he still said thank you out of habit.

After the girl left, Xu Jingzhe said to Liang Yu, “It’s not that big of a deal if they take photos. You were a little too harsh just now.”

Liang Yu seemed to think he was being difficult. He clicked his tongue and said, “Weren’t you the one who said your left side looks better?”

Xu Jingzhe had a bit of a dumbfounded expression on his face. Liang Yu stared at him for a moment, then suddenly reached out, spreading his fingers wide until his palm practically covered Xu Jingzhe’s face.

“Your face is so small.” He asked, “Have you ever had work done?”

Xu Jingzhe tilted his head back and yanked Liang Yu’s hand down. His cheeks were rubbed red, and his bangs were a little messy.

“No one caught that on camera, right?” This was what Xu Jingzhe was most concerned about. He used the black screen of his phone as a mirror to straighten his hair.

Liang Yu laughed. “So what if they did? You know what playful flirting is, don’t you?”

Xu Jingzhe: “…”

Zhang Man arranged for a nanny van to pick the two of them up that evening. When Zhu Xiaoxiao saw them continue holding hands even after getting into the car, her expression was truly indescribable.

She knew very well that all of this was fake. She absolutely could not start shipping it for real. However, these two bosses were far too hard-working, too dedicated. Even if it was manufactured, she was still no match for their beautiful faces and top-notch acting skills, especially when they were showing off their fake relationship. She basically had no choice but to ship it.

Whenever Zhu Xiaoxiao looked at the paparazzi photos, she had, on more than one occasion, suspected that her ship was actually real. However, when she looked at the others in the car, she was met with the sight of Zhang Man and Xu Jingzhe analyzing their internet traffic and popularity. Meanwhile, Yang Jierui was cursing out who knows which marketing account and threatening to sue.

“…” Zhu Xiaoxiao shrank into the last row. She had just checked into the ship’s super topicTranslator’s NoteWeibo has a feature called super topics. These are different from hashtags, which are used to organize content. Rather, super topics are long-lasting communities centered around a particular topic., her face pale and bewildered.

She felt so bitter. Her ship seemed so, so real, yet she knew better than anyone that it wasn’t. The suffocation was almost killing her.

“It’s easy for public opinion to turn against us if we keep trending all the time.” Zhang Man finally concluded, “From now on, you guys don’t need to deliberately go on dates or show off the relationship. Just go with the flow. However, the engagement, the marriage, that’s still going to happen. Mr. Liang had a holiday film that’s going to be released at the end of the year. Mr. Xu will arrange his schedule when the time comes.” She turned and asked Yang Jierui, “Do you want to draw up a cooperation plan?”

Yang Jierui looked pretty satisfied and agreed immediately, “No problem. I’ll definitely get Mr. Liang to give Mr. Xu a big red envelope!”

Zhang Man grinned from ear to ear. “There’s no need for that. If there happens to be a movie role available, remember to say a few good words for Mr. Xu, recommend him…”

“Hey,” Liang Yu suddenly interrupted the two of them. He was sitting next to Xu Jingzhe. Given his tall stature, he legs had no choice but to extend forward, and just his sitting posture exuded an imposing sense of dominance. “Let’s discuss the holiday movie later. We still have other jobs lined up before then, and it’s not like we can just avoid the media. Have you thought about how to control the trending list issue?”

This was actually the first time Zhang Man had her professional capabilities questioned by someone else. She replied a little awkwardly, “We’ll certainly prepare a list of talking points… Of course, we’ll also need the two of you to rein it in a little in front of the cameras.”

Liang Yu scoffed, “How are we supposed to rein it in? Do you really think that, if we rein it in, we won’t end up on the trending list? Feelings Change As The Wedding Day Draws Close, is that the kind of headline you want to see?”

Zhang Man: “…”

Liang Yu: “And, another thing, we’re supposed to be in the honeymoon phase of our relationship, right? So what, are we in the throes of passion but not actually going on dates? What are we supposed to do with our time off? Stay home all day and sleep together?”

When Zhang Man heard the words “sleep together”, she felt a “thud” in her heart. She instinctively glanced at Xu Jingzhe. His expression seemed rather calm. He didn’t seem to have taken the comment to heart.

Yang Jierui had no choice but to say, “If all else fails, we can just pay for the trending topic to be withdrawn.”

“Am I made of money?” Liang Yu mocked. “Are you going to earn it back for me?”

Yang Jierui obediently shut his mouth. He shouldn’t have said anything in the first place.

“Actually, it doesn’t matter if we end up trending or not.” Xu Jingzhe finally spoke up. He looked at Liang Yu and said patiently, “The thing that people find annoying isn’t the act of getting on the trending list, but the thing that you’re on the trending list for. A lot of celebrities end up trending for petty, trivial things. Honestly, neither the celebrities nor the fans want to see this kind of thing too often.”

He paused to think, then continued, “People probably won’t get too annoyed if it’s something worth trending for.”

“I think so as well.” Zhang Man immediately added, “For example, interviews about how you guys met, how you fell in love, did you guys send each other any meaningful gifts, this kind of stuff should be fine. If I were a fan, I would also want to know.”

Yang Jierui clapped his hand together and pretended to understand. “What’s it called … the ‘my ship is real’ kind of feeling?!”

Liang Yu barked out a laugh. “What meaningful gifts? A love letter? I can’t write stuff like that. I started working for a living right after middle school. I’m practically illiterate. My family was poor, so I didn’t have a choice.”

Xu Jingzhe glanced at him, his gaze void of any disdain. He said, “I’ll write you a love letter. Surely you can manage to memorize them?”

The Author Has Something To Say:

Nouveau Riche Liang Yu VS Cultured And Romantic Xu Jingzhe.

Don’t let Liang Yu fool you. He’s actually very, very cute.