Chapter 16: Don't try

Xie Wang had never looked through Lin Jianlu's posts before.

At that time, adding this account was his own request.

Because whenever Lin Jianlu got busy, Xie Wang could never reach him. All he could do was fire away through every possible contact method to get a response, just so he could yell at him once he got him back.

He switched back to their chat, and at a glance, he saw that a photo was mixed in with the screenshots of the script Lin Jianlu had sent.

Did he click on it by mistake?

Lin Jianlu at this age doesn't seem to be as meticulous as he'll be in the future?

In the photo, the young man was bathed in the sunlight, resting his head on his arms and sleeping soundly.

It seemed like he was in class.

Seeing Lin Jianlu secretly sleeping in class was a rare and adorable sight.

Xie Wang couldn't help it and quietly saved the photo.

As soon as he pressed the save button, the system notified him that the other party had retracted a photo.

[YoYo]: [Photo] It should be this one.

[YoYo]: Sorry, I sent the wrong one.

[xw]: It's okay.

Xie Wang wanted to reply with "The photo is very cute," but he was worried it might come off as impolite or flirty, so he deleted the words typed halfway.

[xw]: I'll explain the script to you.

He looked at the screenshots. The issues Lin Jianlu pointed out were quite typical, the kind of confusion generally encountered by new actors.

Xie Wang quickly skimmed the script and was about to start typing out detailed explanations one by one.

Just then, a message came from Lin Jianlu's side—

[YoYo]: Senior, do you prefer voice or video?

Xie Wang: "!!!"

He really wanted to video.

Could it happen just by thinking about it?

In the end, he only made a voice call to Lin Jianlu.

"Senior." Lin Jianlu's voice came through the receiver.

Compared to his usual cold and cheerless tone, there was a hint of drowsiness and laziness in the last syllable, as if it carried warmth and moisture.

"Are you sleepy?" Xie Wang asked.

It was almost midnight.

Talking about the script with Lin Jianlu at this hour, wasn't that a bit...sly?

"Not sleepy," Lin Jianlu replied.

Lin Jianlu: "My spare pajamas didn't dry, so I had to lie down first. Senior shouldn't mind if I listen while lying down, right?"

Didn't dry?

What does that mean?

Lin Jianlu, who is now lying under the covers, is actually wearing nothing?

"Senior Xie Wang?" Lin Jianlu's voice interrupted his distraction.

"I'm here," Xie Wang steadied himself. "The first part you marked is a rival play between you and the criminal. He'll yank your hair, and here, your expression is more important than the lines."

"Hmm," Lin Jianlu paused to think, then asked, "I have to convey, I like you very much, right?"

Xie Wang held the receiver closer to his ear.

Lin Jianlu: "I really like you, I really want to see you, and I really want to come back to you."

Lin Jianlu: "Is that right?"

Xie Wang's breathing suddenly became heavy.

The voice call seemed to soften Lin Jianlu's voice, which didn't sound cold at all, and even made his ears slightly numb.

But how could Lin Jianlu not be cold? He was sinking deeper and deeper into his own desires.

"Yes," Xie Wang replied, "but it's still not enough."

Xie Wang: "You... must have desire for me to really provoke the criminal."

"Desire?" Lin Jianlu asked earnestly, "Like the kind where I want to sleep with you?"

Xie Wang touched his cheek; it was terribly hot.

In just a few short exchanges, he'd already finished the bottle of ice water he'd prepared on the table.

At some point, the grapefruit-flavored alpha pheromones had quietly slipped out, filling the room with fragrance.

"Yes..." Xie Wang said. "It's getting late, and it's hard to explain everything over the phone. When you come to film, I'll explain it to you in person."

Lin Jianlu: "Mn, fine."

Xie Wang then hung up the phone.

A certain part of his anatomy was so stiff it hurt. He sighed, pushed open the bathroom door, and turned on the cold water.

It's happening again.

Here I go again.

That possessive and raging desire deep in his heart.

Before his rebirth, he always thought it was Lin Jianlu's fault, that he was the one who drove him crazy.

Now it seems that it's just because he likes him to the point of madness.

He liked him without even realizing it, and who knows how many hurtful things he'd said to Lin Jianlu because of it.

***

Lin Jianlu took off his headphones, wrapped himself up in the blanket, and rolled around twice.

"YoYo, you're sleeping naked again," Wei Lan said, climbing onto the bed with his laptop. "Chatting with your Xie Wang-gege?"

Lin Jianlu: "Yeah."

He couldn't quite understand why Xie Wang was being so reserved.

Wasn't he pretty wild when he approached him in disguise? He even bluntly said he wanted to be his husband.

"I saw the photos you took at the fashion gala tonight," Wei Lan said. "Not bad, YoYo, not bad. Others are crowded together in the photos, but you went straight for a shot with two fierce As."

Lin Jianlu logged in to check as well. The photo had been posted by the official fashion magazine account, and in just half an hour, it had been shared over a million times.

@Blanket: WTF, the overall attractiveness of this cast is so high! Where can I find the omega actor? He seems perfect for the role.

@Pillow: Help! Xie Wang and the omega lil bro next to him look so sexy in the photo. The casting is spot on—these two are a perfect match.

@Mattress: Xie Wang is as handsome as ever. Gege, do me! Soybean heart eyes.jpg

@Quilt: Chen Yimo's smirk slayed me. Please kidnap me!

@QuiltCover: Does the omega xiao-gege have a Weibo? The @ in the official blog cannot be accessed.

@Xie Wang (Working Version): @NineColorDeerLinYoYo.

@Pillow: Hey, upstairs got a reply from the man himself! Damn!

"Whoa, Xie Wang even knows your Weibo?" Wei Lan asked.

Lin Jianlu had no idea.

He didn't provide his Weibo account in the application information for Seeking Sound, but he wasn't sure if Xingluo had shared it.

In just a short while, his Weibo followers had increased by tens of thousands.

Some people even especially came to greet him.

@CoolSummerQuilt: I watched the trailer for Seeking Sound. I really like you! Lin Jianlu, you're definitely going to make it big.

@Pillowcase: They all say Xie Wang doesn't like you, but looking at this photo, I think it's fine. Lin Jianlu, don't worry. Since you're in Xie Wang's group, he'll favor you for sure and give you all the advancement votes. Teacher Xie will make sure you have smooth sailing all the way.

Lin Jianlu looked pensive.

"I watched Seeking Sound too," Wei Lan said. "Keep singing well."

Lin Jianlu: "Mn."

I will.

At the end of the week, Lin Jianlu was once again taken to the recording site of "Seeking Sound" by the company's car.

Since he had advanced directly, he hadn't participated in the recordings for the second and third episodes.

This time, he would be recording both the third and fourth episodes back-to-back.

The first round of eliminations was over, and each mentor's group had lost half of its members.

The music classroom was noticeably much emptier.

The temperature had dropped today, so when Lin Jianlu set out, his manager specifically had the team dress him in warmer clothing.

There was no dress code for the second round of the competition, so the makeup and styling were entirely up to each artist's team. As a result, the music classroom was filled with people wearing all sorts of colors, though everyone was dressed quite warmly.

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the door, and Lin Jianlu guessed that Xie Wang had arrived.

The camera crew followed Xie Wang as he entered the music classroom.

Standing at the classroom door, Xie Wang took off his sunglasses, striking a confident pose: "Huh, not bad, a few of you made it through."

Lin Jianlu didn't join in the cheers; instead, he was looking at Xie Wang's outfit.

Alpha…don't feel cold?

Nah, that couldn't be right—the three alpha singers in the classroom were all dressed in layers.

Xie Wang, on the other hand, was wearing summer clothes: a short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and sandals.

Had he just come back from the south? His schedule must be packed.

Xie Wang went up to the podium and started going over the program's recording process, reading out the competition rules for the next two days.

Every now and then, his gaze drifted toward the back row, where Lin Jianlu sat.

Lin Jianlu was diligently taking notes, not even glancing at him.

A sense of frustration filled Xie Wang's heart.

Didn't he like alpha eye-catching summer outfits?

Hadn't Lin Jianlu even sent the "pushing glasses.jpg" emoji?

So why was it that when he deliberately wore the same style, Lin Jianlu seemed so disinterested?

"The setup for today's first round is adaptation," Xie Wang announced. "Unlike before, you won't get ample time for preparation before the competition. The program team has already purchased the commercial performance rights for the songs you draw next, which is what you need to adapt and reinterpret."

The show had purchased a limited number of songs. About three contestants would adapt the same song, pk-ing one after another. Only one would advance, while the others would have to battle it out again.

It's worth noting that after this round, contestants would have the right to switch mentors.

In this round, original songwriters like Lin Jianlu had a natural advantage.

However, the song he drew was an old classic, which negated that advantage.

Reinterpreting oldies is particularly challenging.

Audiences are already accustomed to the familiar melodies and rhythms, so any sudden changes might come across as unpleasant or pretentious.

Xie Wang quietly slipped out of the classroom, leaving time for the contestants to work on their adaptations.

To gather more material for the show, the "Seeking Sound" production team had also arranged a 'mentor delivers drinks to the contestants' segment.

Coincidentally, the drink sponsor for the show was the same brand Xie Wang had previously seen at the bar.

After making the round with the drinks, Xie Wang still couldn't find Lin Jianlu in the music classroom.

It wasn't until he asked a staff member that he learned Lin Jianlu had borrowed a zither.

The omega was sitting with his back to the mirror, plucking the strings. When he saw Xie Wang enter, he only lifted his head slightly.

"Hi!" Xie Wang greeted him, pushing a small cart. "What flavor of soda do you want?"

His hand was already on the grapefruit soda.

Lin Jianlu: "I'll have lychee."

Xie Wang: "?"

"Lychee… I gave away all of them," Xie Wang said.

It's not that he'd run out; he was just blind and couldn't see it.

"Alright, then I'll take the grapefruit." Lin Jianlu compromised.

The omega took the grapefruit soda, but after a couple of attempts, he couldn't twist off the cap. Frowning slightly, he seemed about to set it aside.

Xie Wang took the soda from his hand, opened the bottle cap for him, and handed it back.

"Thank you," Lin Jianlu said.

Xie Wang hesitated to speak, but mindful of the cameras, he pushed the cart away.

Lin Jianlu turned his head, watching Xie Wang leave.

Does Xie Wang know how to dress properly or not?

If not, please don't try.

The essence of alpha eye-catching summer wear is to show off abs in photos.

Just as in Xie Wang's memory, Lin Jianlu's second performance also garnered high votes.

Dressed in black ancient costume, Lin Jianlu incorporated the zither into this classic martial arts TV series theme song, vividly interpreting the spirit of jianghu.

The Xingluo team's temporary choreography was also impressive, adding a short sword dance to the piece.

On stage, with the silhouette of flashing blades and the stirring sound of the zither, Lin Jianlu sat with his back to the audience, casting a cold, piercing glance over his shoulder.

Xie Wang almost gaped at him.

His wife really has a gift for stage performance.

However—

Lin Jianlu requested a change of mentor.

Xie Wang: "???"

The other four professional mentors all welcomed Lin Jianlu, and he chose a professional musician, leaving Xie Wang's team.

Even after these two episodes finished recording, Xie Wang was still confused.

"Don't you dislike him?" The mentor who had just accepted Lin Jianlu turned to speak to him. "He just came to me."

Laozi f*cking likes him more than anyone else.

Xie Wang declared inwardly.

From then until finishing the show and going back to the crew to film, Xie Wang was as irritable as a firecracker, ready to explode at any moment.

"DaWang! What are you dazing for?" The director of Hidden Blade called out to him. "The next scene, the opening scene of the movie, is your intimate scene with Xiao Lin."

Director: "Lin Jianlu said he might be nervous, so hurry over and rehearse the scene with him!"

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The essence of summer alpha eye-catching outfits lies in mermaid lines and abs, not vest and sandals, you silly dog.

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