In Name Only - Chapter 7

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 working 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 working. 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 dinner. Xu Jingzhe needed to lose weight, so he only ordered a vegetable salad. Liang Yu’s dinner was slightly better. He ordered some chicken.

The girl who delivered their meal clearly recognized the two of them. Xu Jingzhe gave her a good-natured smile. She immediately pulled out her phone. She might’ve been a little too excited, and they were in really close proximity with each other. However, she almost ended up shoving the camera into his face.

Liang Yu reached out, his palm facing her, and blocked it. His tone of voice wasn’t too friendly. “I’m going to ask you not to take photos. Let him eat his meal in peace.”

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“?” 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 mean 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 while. Then, he suddenly stretched out his hand and spread his fingers. The palm of his hand almost covered Xu Jingzhe’s entire 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. “Just let them. Don’t you know anything about flirting?”

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.

When 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. Her phone was still signed into the ship’s super topic, her face pale and confused.

She felt so bitter. Her ship felt 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 a bit…”

“Hey,” Liang Yu suddenly interrupted the two of them. He was sitting next to Xu Jingzhe. Because of his height, his legs could only stretch forward as much as possible. His sitting posture seemed to give off a sense of oppression. “Let’s discuss the holiday movie later. We still have other jobs lined up before then. 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 definitely prepare a list of questions for the media… Of course, we’ll 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: “Also, what happened to the honeymoon period? Aren’t you supposed to go on dates while you’re in the honeymoon period of a relationship? What else are we supposed to do? Stay home all day and sleep together?”

When Zhang Man heard the words “sleep together”, she felt a “thud” in her heart. She subconsciously looked at Xu Jingzhe. His expression seemed rather calm. He didn’t seem to take it seriously.

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

“Do I have that much money?” Liang Yu mocked. “You’re going to earn it back for me?”

Yang Jierui obediently shut his mouth. He shouldn’t have said anything.

“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 the most trivial, irrelevant matters. To be honest, neither the celebrities nor the fans want to see this kind of thing too often.”

He thought for a moment. Then, he 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. “That’s the, what’s it called … the ‘my ship is real’ kind of feeling?!”

Liang Yu barked out a laugh. “What kind of meaningful gift? A love letter? I can’t write stuff like that. I started working right after middle school, so I’m an idiot when it comes to literature. My family’s poor. I can’t do anything about it.”

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