Read Novel Full Chapter 93 - Forced To Go Public
**Chapter 93: Forced To Go Public**
Translator: Namizaki
*********************
The plain, cold ring reflected the bright light within the velvet box, its brilliance almost dazzling.
Chi Zhongqiao’s words carried his characteristic restraint and subtlety, yet Du Yusheng immediately understood his meaning.
Du Yusheng imagined the scenario and exclaimed in exasperation, “Spare the PR team! Even though your CP is trending, it’s just fans having fun!”
The Road Idiot1(Lù chī) CP was indeed popular. Lu Yuzhou possessed a face that could dominate the entertainment industry, coupled with a glittering background and several appearances in domestic and international business magazines, making him quite well-known.
Half of Chi Zhongqiao’s “mom fans” were also CP fans. As for the “girlfriend fans,” who typically oppose their idol’s relationships… this Little Prince had far fewer girlfriend fans compared to mom fans. Moreover, same-sex marriage had been legal for several years. While older generations might struggle to accept it, younger generations were already very tolerant of the LGBTQ+ community.
Du Yusheng abruptly halted his thoughts, his expression twisting—he was actually starting to consider the consequences of going public.
“I don’t get it,” Du Yusheng said, his voice strained. “Is this public disclosure really that important to you two?”
Chi Zhongqiao replied, “I think it is.”
The two men stared at each other through the phone connection for a few tense seconds before Du Yusheng relented. “Fine, I’ll start preparing. But if you don’t win Best Actor, all your plans will fall apart.”
Chi Zhongqiao responded, “Then I’ll have to work even harder.”
Work harder at what? Du Yusheng wondered. Work harder at coming out?
He had no desire to see his artist working so hard for something like this.
*****
<The Patriot> consisted of fifty-six episodes, a relatively concise length with no filler. Despite its complex plot, viewers found themselves utterly hooked, unable to stop watching.
“I don’t understand half of it, but I’m still so hyped!”
“Waaah, my heart aches for our Marquis! His martial arts almost got ruined!”
“Honestly, from the very beginning, the plot felt so familiar. Then I opened my history textbook… Holy crap, this is just a fictionalized version of a certain dynasty with wuxia elements!”
“After watching this long, if I got transported into the show, I’d be the only complete idiot. I’d probably get killed off in the first episode.”
“At first, I thought He Yu and the main cast were getting too many plot armor buffs. But by the end, I was wishing they’d gotten even more!”
However, given the drama’s serious tone and historical setting, it was destined to be a tearjerker. As the plot progressed, it became increasingly heart-wrenching, leaving viewers with a literal ache in their chests. The occasional moments of humor and sweetness in each episode became their only solace.
In this drama, Chi Zhongqiao’s character finally received official confirmation of his romantic pairing. No more unrequited feelings, no more ambiguous hints—this was a genuine, officially sanctioned couple.
Although the grand finale didn’t end with a wedding, the female lead, ranked among the top three in combat prowess, was conferred the title of Marquis and appointed Prime Minister, becoming the only woman in this fictional setting to achieve such a high honor.
Yet the more bitter the plot, the sweeter the moments between the male and female leads felt. Set against the backdrop of a chaotic era, their romance carried an even greater poignancy than ordinary love stories.
The couple’s popularity soared, with some fans even projecting their fantasies onto the real-life actors. The female lead’s agency had considered promoting the on-screen romance and had already taken steps in that direction. However, both the female lead and Chi Zhongqiao himself firmly opposed the idea. Beyond promotional events, they deliberately avoided being seen together, denying fans any chance to indulge in their “shipping” fantasies.
This was perhaps the most tragic couple in history—the real-life actors mutually avoiding each other as much as possible.
Your OTP refuses to give us crumbs.jpg
The frustrated real-life shippers gradually lost momentum. No matter how much money the agency invested, the couple’s popularity remained stagnant.
But <The Patriot> continued to air. While the real-life couple’s popularity waned, the on-screen romance remained frighteningly popular. Chi Zhongqiao wondered if Lu Yuzhou had noticed.
He probably had. Chi Zhongqiao sensed that Lu Yuzhou had been in low spirits these past few days.
Chi Zhongqiao sat on the single sofa, watching Lu Yuzhou standing by the window, talking on the phone. His profile revealed no emotion, and his voice remained as cold as ever.
He was calling Qi Chuyang. After eavesdropping for a moment, Chi Zhongqiao shifted his focus to figuring out how to comfort Lu Yuzhou.
His gaze was so intense that Lu Yuzhou, after hanging up, felt momentarily unsure of what to do.
Fortunately, Chi Zhongqiao didn’t give him much time to overthink. He simply reached out his hand and said, “Yuzhou, come here.”
Lu Yuzhou walked over.
Chi Zhongqiao asked, “Are you unhappy?”
Lu Yuzhou paused, then shook his head.
Chi Zhongqiao stroked his cheek, and Lu Yuzhou pressed a kiss into his palm. “I’m really not unhappy.”
As he grew older, Lu Yuzhou had shed the bitterness and resentment he’d carried upon his return. Chi Zhongqiao had smoothed away the edges of his inherent ferocity, yet his presence only grew more commanding, drawing attention wherever he stood.
The kiss made Chi Zhongqiao’s palm tingle, and he couldn’t help but think that President Lu’s skill at sweet-talking was as formidable as his business acumen.
Lu Yuzhou braced his hands on the sofa arms, leaning down to kiss Chi Zhongqiao.
He felt only a slight pang of regret.
He longed to love him more openly, without reservation.
Chi Zhongqiao eventually left the office on shaky legs.
He stared at his phone for a moment before silently tucking it away—office romances were trouble, and being together all day would only fuel the fire.
*****
Du Yusheng arranged an interview for Chi Zhongqiao on a talk show.
With <The Patriot> nearing its finale, speculation about the ending was rampant. As both the producer and lead actor, Chi Zhongqiao had a clear understanding of the plot’s trajectory. This interview wasn’t about sensationalism; it aimed to provide a straightforward explanation of the aired episodes and offer brief character analyses.
Since <The Patriot> began airing, Chi Zhongqiao’s popularity had skyrocketed to an astonishing level. He no longer belonged to the “Four Young Male Stars” group; he had firmly established himself as a top-tier celebrity.
The interview program invited both Chi Zhongqiao and Lu Jiu, the female lead of <The Patriot>.
Miss Lu Jiu, who had debuted three years prior, had remained relatively unknown, a talented but second-tier actress. <The Patriot> had been her breakthrough role, catapulting her into the ranks of A-list stars.
Chi Zhongqiao had always held a favorable impression of Lu Jiu, perhaps because she shared the same surname as Lu Yuzhou.
Upon arriving at the studio, Chi Zhongqiao finished his makeup first and waited in the green room for his turn on stage. Soon after, Lu Jiu, also fully made up, joined him.
Lu Jiu greeted him, “Good afternoon.”
Chi Zhongqiao smiled. “Good afternoon. Would you like a drink?”
Lu Jiu shook her head. “My throat’s been acting up lately. I can only have plain water.”
Chi Zhongqiao twisted open a bottle himself and took a small sip.
In the lounge, with only the two of them present, Lu Jiu cut straight to the point: “What I said to your Manager last time was my Manager’s idea. I personally didn’t agree with it, and I hope the online rumors haven’t affected you.”
Miss Lu’s emotional intelligence was remarkable. Her words were deliberately vague, leaving outsiders confused, yet anyone in the know would immediately understand her meaning.
This was an apology for the company’s previous PR stunt involving them.
Chi Zhongqiao didn’t really care. Lu Jiu’s attitude was clear: The entire operation had been orchestrated by her Manager.
Chi Zhongqiao had never liked Lu Jiu’s Manager. How could such a promising talent like Lu Jiu end up in his hands? It spoke volumes about his incompetence in nurturing talent.
Chi Zhongqiao tactfully remarked, “Now that you’re so popular, he might not have found the right niche for you.”
With Lu Jiu’s exceptional talent and undeniable beauty—ranking among the industry’s elite—she could easily follow Yan Qingbo’s path. In a few years, she could become a top-tier actress, perhaps even gaining international acclaim.
Lu Jiu paused for a moment before replying, “He couldn’t find it even before I became popular.”
Chi Zhongqiao couldn’t help but chuckle.
Lu Jiu remained puzzled. “I still don’t understand these people who ship real-life pairings.”
A lesbian and a gay man—how could they possibly be a match?
“Made for each other”? Aren’t they afraid their tongues will be struck by lightning for such blatant lies?
During filming, Lu Jiu, who frequently saw Lu Yuzhou visiting the set, was puzzled. “How can people even ship the two of us?”
Chi Zhongqiao burst into laughter.
While Chi Zhongqiao was filming his variety show, the massive promotional campaign for <The Cage> had already begun.
China’s film industry boasts a massive market that commands global attention, and <The Cage> was heavily invested in capturing this market, launching an aggressive promotional strategy.
Chi Zhongqiao, whose popularity had recently skyrocketed, became one of the campaign’s key assets. The promotional materials emphasized: “Did you know? Your Zhongqiao makes an appearance in our film, and he looks absolutely stunning!”
This strategy proved remarkably effective. The runaway success of <The Patriot> had granted Chi Zhongqiao unprecedented national recognition. This wasn’t just about follower counts on social media platforms; it had planted a seed in the public consciousness, ensuring that people would instantly recognize his name whenever they saw or heard it.
This was the true meaning of fame.
<The Cage> rode this wave of momentum. The trailers garnered astonishing views, and once they reached a certain threshold, the film’s official Chinese account released behind-the-scenes footage featuring Chi Zhongqiao. Most of the clips showed his daily interactions with the two main leads, conveying a clear message: “Your Zhongqiao isn’t just handsome and talented; he’s also incredibly kind and easy to get along with.”
Praise him to the heavens!
The behind-the-scenes footage was harmless enough—the three actors’ daily interactions were quite amusing—until someone noticed Chi Zhongqiao wearing a ring. Though the shot flashed by in an instant, sharp-eyed viewers spotted it.
The comments section quickly flooded with ring-related posts. The reason was simple: The ring was on his left ring finger, a symbol of marriage.
While it’s not unusual for celebrities to wear rings—male actors often wear them as accessories when not filming—what if this particular celebrity almost never wore jewelry outside of watches?
And what if the ring wasn’t on his middle or pinky finger, but on his ring finger?
Less than an hour after the ring was discovered, the overwhelming traffic crashed the official website of <The Cage>, making the video inaccessible.
The situation escalated too quickly. By the time the public relations department realized the problem, screenshots of Chi Zhongqiao wearing the ring were already circulating widely, and the hashtag #ChiZhongqiaoSuspectedRelationship# proved impossible to suppress.
Du Yusheng slammed his phone down. “Why now, of all times?!”
The Peony Awards hadn’t even started yet! Who knew how the senior judges on the panel would react to such rumors?
Fuming with anger, Du Yusheng grabbed the landline and called Chi Zhongqiao.
Chi Zhongqiao had just finished filming his show and was unaware of the online commotion. After Du Yusheng’s brief explanation, he gently rubbed his temples. “I was a bit careless.”
In the US, he had worn the ring daily, confident that the lack of constant media scrutiny meant he could get away with it. The behind-the-scenes footage had caught him after he’d changed out of his costume but hadn’t yet removed the ring.
This sudden crisis completely disrupted his plans.
Du Yusheng, his mind racing with possible solutions, asked, “What are you thinking now?”
Before Chi Zhongqiao could answer, three sharp knocks sounded on the office door, followed by someone pushing it open.
Du Yusheng instinctively looked up. It was Lu Yuzhou.
Lu Yuzhou glanced at the phone and scattered documents on the floor, then said coldly, “What’s the panic? Have you forgotten how to handle PR? Isn’t Qiao-ge planning to endorse jewelry soon? Push that angle.”
Du Yusheng’s eyes lit up. Right! The ring in the video was only visible for a fleeting moment, and any screenshots would be blurry. Moreover, Chi Zhongqiao’s ring was custom-made, making it impossible to find an identical design. If they kept quiet, who would know which brand it was?
Du Yusheng held the receiver, about to reply, when Chi Zhongqiao’s nonchalant voice came through the speaker: “Let them expose it. When has our President Lu ever been someone to hide?”
Du Yusheng: “……”
Fuck being a Manager, I’m done with this shit!
Zaki~ English is not my first language, but I’ll try to get the translations as close as possible to the Author’s work. If you see any grammatical errors or mistakes in the translation, please feel free to drop them in the comments section so I can correct them immediately. Thank you and Happy Reading 🙂
