Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day

Chapter 86: Kiss

Mrs. Yan thought the two of them were quite a match. They have similar appearance, height, condition, personality, and most importantly, she was Yan Qiuchi’s mother, and she also loves Shen Jintai the most. If they could become a true family in the future, it would definitely be a good marriage.

The past was the past. No need to mention about it any longer. Mrs. Yan resolved to help your son! With her women’s intuition, Mrs. Yan felt the relationship between Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan was slightly subtle.

Shen Jintai: “How long are you able to stay here for?”

“One night. Need to leave tomorrow morning.” Bai Qingquan said.

“I think you can shoot one of the two cameo scenes today, which will save you time in the future. When your new film starts shooting, it’ll be hard to adjust your schedule.” Shen Jintai said.

“I promised so readily, but I should have asked Wei Ge and the others for their opinions first.” Bai Qingquan said with a smile.

“Your boss is here,” Shen Jintai looked at Yan Qiuchi: “When he speaks, what other opinion could Wei Ge and the others have.”

“You still need to discuss with your own team,” Yan Qiuchi said to Bai Qingquan: “I will not interfere in your personal business.”

Still so businesslike.

Shen Jintai said: “If he makes a cameo the box office will be much higher. As long as we join forces now, it will create hot news.”

Bai Qingquan thought the same. He felt that the matter of making a guest appearance would be mutually beneficial. He could follow a billion-dollar box office movie to brush his face*, and the movie could borrow some of his popularity, which would benefit Shen Jintai and him. Their former rival relationship would create waves of gossip.

*Brush face (刷脸) = show your face through an electronic method. In this context it means having his face shown on the big screen.

“Just let him participate.” Shen Jintai said: “If Qingquan gets delayed, or it’s not good for him, I’ll stop it. There’s no loss to Sunshine Media. This will also help him establish a relationship with Director Lu and could potentially open new doors to cooperate with him in the future.”

Yan Qiuchi felt that Shen Jintai’s words “just let him participate” had a coquettish feeling behind it. The tone wasn’t guardian like but a bit more childish. He liked it very much. Honestly, he felt that the matter of doing a cameo was up to Bai Qingquan to decide himself. His team would agree but since Shen Jintai had begged him like this, he was happy to show favor. He said: “Nn. Then I’ll talk to Wei Ge…”

“Then it’s settled.” Shen Jintai said to Bai Qingquan cheerfully.

Bai Qingquan was surprised. He didn’t expect Yan Qiuchi and Shen Jintai to have such a harmonious relationship.

According to the original plan, Mrs. Yan and Yan Qiuchi were going to leave in the afternoon, however Mrs. Yan felt she couldn’t leave and allow Bai Qingquan and Shen Jintai to be together by themselves. Who knows what unimaginable things could happen? An energetic young man has the worst self-control.

Though Bai Qingquan looks like an outstanding young man, compared with her son, there was a huge gap. Thinking about this, Mrs. Yan couldn’t help but feel a bit heartache.

“Auntie, why aren’t you eating as much?” Shen Jintai asked with concern.

“I’m a bit uncomfortable. Maybe it’s because of the heatstroke.” She said to Shen Jintai.

Shen Jintai was very nervous and immediately stood up: “Why didn’t you say earlier. Let’s go to the hospital to have a look.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Sit down.” Mrs. Yan said: “I just feel a little uncomfortable. It’s not a big deal.”

“It’s hot here,” Bai Qingquan was also very nervous: “The fires on the other side of the studio is still burning so it’s even hotter over there.”

Yan Qiuchi said: “If you are really uncomfortable, you should go to the hospital. I will take you.”

Mrs. Yan: “No, I’ll just go lie down. Qiuchi tell the driver. Let’s return tomorrow. I need to take a break. I’m tired from flying.”

When Mrs. Yan went back to her room to rest, Yan Qiuchi was still not at ease: “You’d better go to the hospital to have a look so I can rest assured.”

Mrs. Yan lifted the pillow and sat up: “Are you really that blind. I was just pretending.”

Yan Qiuchi looked at her with astonishment. He didn’t expect his mother to have this kind of side as she has always been a bit harsh in front of him.

Mrs. Yan: “You sit down. Let’s have a good chat.”

Yan Qiuchi pulled over a chair and sat down by the side of her bed.

Mrs. Yan: “What happened yesterday, mother was wrong. I can’t say that it was completely your fault, but how can I put it… You said too much and now you like Xiao Jin. It’ll be difficult to chase him, and it means that you’re slapping yourself in the face, but if it means you can succeed and live a happy life, then you can endure this slap. A man’s self-esteem is sometimes valuable and sometimes worthless. Do you understand what mom means?”

Yan Qiuchi said: “I have never considered the matter of getting or not getting slapped.”

He said what he said so he now has to bear the consequences. It was his responsibility. The key problem wasn’t here but the fact is that Shen Jintai no longer likes him.

Mrs. Yan: “It’s best if you think like that. Do you know why I stayed?”

Yan Qiuchi: “I know. You wanted to create opportunities for me.”

“Wrong,” Mrs. Yan said: “If you want to chase Xiao Jin, you still got a long way to go. This is not something that happens overnight. Don’t worry about it at this moment. I stayed because of Bai Qingquan.”

Yan Qiuchi looked up.

Mrs. Yan said: “Xiao Jin… likes Bai Qingquan. Did you know this?”

Yan Qiuchi was stunned. He leaned back against the chair as his legs shook unconsciously. He then put his hands into his pockets: “He said this?”

Yan Qiuchi had this problem since the was a child. Whenever he was nervous or excited, his legs would shake. When his mood was complicated, he liked to put his hands in his pockets.

Mrs. Yan glanced at him and said: “He admitted it himself. He said he doesn’t like you anymore and prefers Bai Qingquan. At first, I thought he was just saying it casually, but today when I observed them, he does really seem to be interested in Bai Qingquan.”

Hearing this confirmed Yan Qiuchi’s suspicion as well. Hearing his mother’s words, the thoughts he had during dinner instantly poured out. He had a sneaking suspicion that the person he likes, liked someone else and his uncertainty has finally been realized.

Mrs. Yan said: “But you don’t have to worry too much. In my opinion, the two of them haven’t move past that stage yet. They are just showing signs. At this critical time, you have to show your courage and step up. Be ruthless, act faster, and be decisive. You can’t be just poking around like this.”

Yan Qiuchi looked slightly embarrassed and nodded: “I’ll listen to you.”

Mrs. Yan was very satisfied seeing his docile appearance. Yan Qiuchi had always been assertive since he was a child and rarely did he ever listened to her like this.

Mrs. Yan: “First, don’t be impatient. After Bai Qingquan leaves, make your move. Okay, I’ll lie down for a while. You can let Xiao Jin in. Your mother isn’t good at acting…”

“I know. You’re doing it for me.” Yan Qiuchi said.

Mrs. Yan was happy. Her voice was gentle: “Go and ask Xiao Jin to come in.”

Yan Qiuchi went out. He had never lied to anyone, especially when he looks at Shen Jintai’s eyes. He didn’t know how to lie. He felt that honesty was a valuable trait for men to possess.

Shen Jintai: “Is Auntie okay?”

“You should go in and visit her.” Yan Qiuchi said to Shen Jintai.

Shen Jintai went into the room immediately. He came out after a while and said: “Let Auntie take a good rest. I’ll ask the crew for a break this afternoon.”

“You shouldn’t be too concern since you have a busy schedule. Don’t worry, I’m still here to watch over her.” Yan Qiuchi said. After speaking, he glanced at Bai Qingquan in the distance. Bai Qingquan was speaking on the phone as he stroked his hair in the wind.

Mrs. Yan took a nap. After waking up, she was bored so she chatted with her best friend for a while then turned on the TV to watch <The East Palace is Coming>. When the scene of Zhou Jing’s death was played, Mrs. Yan watched with tears in her eyes. Suddenly she heard a knock on her door. She quickly wiped away her tears, got up and opened the door seeing Yan Qiuchi.

“Are you feeling better?” Yan Qiuchi asked.

Mrs. Yan’s eyes were still a little red: “Why are you still here? Didn’t Xiao Jin and the others return to the crew?”

Yan Qiuchi nodded.

Mrs. Yan: “Then why are you still here?”

“Someone has to watch you.” Yan Qiuchi said.

Mrs. Yan: “What are you watching me for? I told you was just pretending.”

Yan Qiuchi didn’t say anything. Mrs. Yan was sick, at least to Shen Jintai anyways. If he doesn’t watch over her and instead visit the crew, wouldn’t Shen Jintai think he was unfilial? Filial piety is also a very important quality for men.

Yan Qiuchi phone suddenly rang. It was Shen Jintai calling him.

“How’s auntie. Is she feeling better?” Shen Jintai asked.

It was a bit noisy on set as the wind was strong. Shen Jintai’s voice was a bit floaty. Yan Qiuchi answered: “She’s doing better. Don’t worry about it and focus on filming. I’m here to watch her.”

Mrs. Yan was listening next to him lost for words.

—

In the afternoon, their crew temporarily adjusted and filmed one of the cameo scenes for Bai Qingquan. He had put on his robe and stood in front of the mirror. He looked like a zhilan yushu* scholar from the Republic of China.

*Zhilan yushu (芝兰玉树) = translated means orchid eucalyptus. It’s a metaphor for a promising child. From “The book of Jin Xie A Biography”.

Lu Ming came over to tell him about the scene: “Huang Chunjiang, who’s your character, is Chen Zheng’s old classmate. You heard that he gave up his dream of being a movie star and came here to participate in the air force recruitment, so you rushed here to dissuade him.”

Bai Qingquan nodded and looked at the script for the scene. It was well written. Huang Chunjiang was just an introduction in order to elicit Chen Zheng’s next impassioned lines. He also saw a group photo with a banner on the back that said: “In time of crisis, strong men will fly and swear to serve the country to death.”

Bai Qingquan became passionate and moved when he saw it.

“I heard that Chen Zheng has a historical prototype?” He asked Shen Jintai.

Shen Jintai said: “Strictly speaking, he doesn’t. His character represent the epitome of several historical figures, but the director asked me to focus on one person’s historical information.” Shen Jintai took out an old photo to show him. The man in the photo had meticulously combed hair, a sloping head, and was dressed in a military uniform. Although the photo was blurry, the man’s dark eyebrows and starry eyes could still be seen.

“So handsome.” Bai Qingquan said sincerely. He was a good young man at the right age, that had the temperament of a man and the perseverance of a soldier.

Shen Jintai: “Before filming started, I watched some documentaries. Most of these pilots are very handsome, with good origins and bright prospects. They joined the air force for the sake of their country and support the war resistance.”

Bai Qingquan pinched the photo and nodded. In the worst of times, it was fortunate that these respectable people existed.

—

Huang Chunjiang had come to see Chen Zheng on behalf of Chen Zheng’s mother. She had him when she was in her thirties. Unfortunately, her husband died prematurely so she regarded her son as her only treasure. When she heard her son had joined the air force, she had many sleepless nights tossing and turning. Hearing that Huang Chunjiang was coming to visit Chen Zheng, she beseeched him to bring him a letter.

After Chen Zheng read the letter, he sat by himself on a hill for a long time.

Mother Chen knew that her son had a firm stance and wouldn’t be easily dissuaded. She only hoped that he would make plans to get married and have children.

“You are the only male in our family. As a pilot, you don’t know if you will ever come back down when you go up. If you don’t think about it for yourself, you have to think about what I should do alone if something happens to you.”

“I am going to war. If I have a lover, I will inevitably get distracted. If something goes wrong, wouldn’t this hurt my lover’s life? I will not consider the matter of marriage. I am determined to serve the country so naturally I will put it first above all else. Brother Chunjiang, you and I have known each other for many years. I can trust you. If anything happens to me, I hope you will take care of my old mother on my behalf based on our friendship we had as classmates for many years.”

Bai Qingquan’s throat was sour. Of his two scenes, one was to dissuade Chen Zheng, and the other was to go to the place where he was killed to find his body. Nothing was found except for his dog tags.

Chen Zheng was killed during battle. He was besieged by seven enemy planes and died as he took them down with him. He was only 22.

The climax of <Pilot> was the bombing of Chongqing. The casualties were very heavy. Except for the male lead who played the instructor, almost all of them died. Of the deaths, the second male lead, who was played by Shen Jintai, died the most heroically.

When Huang Chunjiang visited Chen Zheng the first time, Chen Zheng, who looked like he was in the prime of his youth, looked up to the sky and made an appointment with him. After the war, he would return to his hometown and have a drink with Huang Chunjiang.

“Although we have determination to die, we don’t have to be too pessimistic. Perhaps we will win the war* and I’ll be fine. You always say that your Shaoxing wine is delicious. After driving the Japs away, one day, I will fly to Shaoxing and find you for a drink.”   

*Clarity: the war that this movie is referencing is the Second-Sino Japanese War.

“I’ll hold you to your word. The most famous wine in our hometown is Erhong. Let’s get drunk.”

The last scene showed Bai Qingquan putting a bottle of Shaoxing Erhong wine in front of Chen Zheng’s tomb.

Bai Qingquan himself felt that his acting skills were better than before, because it was easy to enter the drama, and his mind was much more sensitive and delicate. He turned his head towards Shen Jintai and saw that his eyes were clear and moist. Bai Qingquan smiled and raised his head to face the sun.

“Cut!”

Shen Jintai took a breath, then stood up from the hill. He stretched out his hand and helped Bai Qingquan up. He was wearing an officer’s uniform looking brave and heroic. At that moment, Bai Qingquan suddenly felt “offensive energy” coming from Shen Jintai.

“This one will pass. It’s amazing.” Shen Jintai said with a smile.

Bai Qingquan said: “As it should.” Whenever he acted with Shen Jintai, he always filmed well.

—

Yan Qiuchi was very anxious. All afternoon, he was thinking about what to do if Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan really fell in love. Lying on the bed, he looked at the photos taken today on his phone. He also had the photo that Shen Jintai took with Bai Qingquan. Looking at Shen Jintai in the photo, his eyes were bright, and his smile was sweet.

Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan were two completely different types when it comes to good looks. Shen Jintai’s facial features were more glamorous, his lips rosier, his complexion fairer, and his eyes darker. His hand was casually hung across Bai Qingquan’s chest and Bai Qingquan looked natural holding it. He wasn’t clasping the entire hand but rather just gently holding a few of Shen Jintai’s fingers.

Yan Qiuchi counted, one, two, three fingers. The picture looked really ambiguous. He had originally thought the picture he took with Shen Jintai was very charming, but it pales in comparison with this one. Especially the first photo where Shen Jintai had put his hands in his pockets and was just standing behind him with a smile. His eyes and smile were faint, giving off a polite look.

Yan Qiuchi felt that he really couldn’t stand this kind of emotional rollercoaster. He was not used to it. He was used to always being indifferent. He suddenly recalled Mrs. Yan’s words about what would happen if Shen Jintai fell in love with someone else.

Yan Qiuchi thought hard about it and found that he really couldn’t bear it. He couldn’t stand it. It made him feel possessive and jealous.

The sun was setting as its orange rays shone through the window. The air condition was noisy as it buzzed from time to time. Yan Qiuchi suddenly heard Shen Jintai’s voice and immediately jumped up from the bed. When he opened his door to look, Shen Jintai was with Bai Qingquan and Xiao Tang walking upstairs. Shen Jintai had his hands around Bai Qingquan’s shoulder.

When Bai Qingquan saw Yan Qiuchi, he immediately bowed and greeted him: “President Yan.”

Shen Jintai retracted his arm and asked: “Is Auntie Fang all right?”

“Much better.” Yan Qiuchi said.

During dinner, Yan Qiuchi’s feeling of loss was even more obvious. Perhaps he was too hung up on his mother’s words but now he would zoom in on every small details. The more he observed, the more he felt that Shen Jintai really liked Bai Qingquan. He felt Shen Jintai’s eyes had an ambiguous movement in them as they talked about the filming details on set today.

Hearing their conversations, he couldn’t help but feel out of touch. Yan Qiuchi was also part of the entertainment industry but there was still a large difference between a CEO of an entertainment company and the actors. They had very little in common.

That feeling that he had was still the same. He couldn’t say what he wanted to say, and the things he could say he didn’t know how.

Feeling despondent, he left early and went for a walk by himself. He suddenly wanted to smoke so he went to a nearby supermarket to buy cigarettes. As soon as he entered, he saw the owner and his family leaning in front of the TV. They were watching <The East Palace is Coming>.

The scene showed Li Xu sitting in a chair as he listened to the kneeling prisoner. He suddenly sneered and lowered his eyebrows slightly. This kind of contempt, indifference, and performance was worthy of three points*.

*Clarity: I have no idea what kind of scale he’s using, but I would assume it just means superb acting skills given the context.

“Handsome guy, what do you want to buy?”

“A pack cigarette.” Yan Qiuchi said.

The owner put down his dinner and came over to get him his item. Yan Qiuchi said: “I also want a lighter.”

After receiving it, he asked: “How much?”

“Twenty. You don’t need to pay for the lighter. Are you from out of town?”

Yan Qiuchi nodded. He opened the pack and took out a cigarette, not in any rush to leave. He put the cigarette in his mouth, lit it, and smoked it while he kept looking at the TV.

The owner smiled and said: “It’s <The East Palace is Coming>. The one playing Li Xu is making a movie in this area now.”

“I know. It’s Shen Jintai.” The light from the lighter illuminated Yan Qiuchi’s eyes.

“Yes, yes, Shen Jintai.” The owner said: “He’s a big star. Very good at acting.”

On the day Li Xu sent off Zhou Ying, his leg was frostbitten from the snow. Due to this, it was difficult for him during the winter season. When Li Xu returned into his chambers, he trembled and used a chair to support himself. Chang’an knelt on the ground and took a hot towel to wrap his legs around. Li Xu raised his head, his expression foreboding, and said to Chang’an: “Today is the anniversary of his death.”

The breath and his delivery were astounding. Even his facial expression matched the mood as his cheeks slightly trembled showing a sad and calm demeanor.

Amazing. Shen Jintai’s acting is spectacular. So good.

Yan Qiuchi left the small supermarket and smoked on the street in the cool night. He wasn’t someone who could be ruthless. He was always decisive when doing things but was never sloppy about it. He had achieved such success at a young age, and it wasn’t due to relying on his famous father.

—

It was late at night. Shen Jintai and Bai Qingquan were video chatting with Zheng Siqi. The three of them had forged a deep friendship since The East Palace. While they were chatting happily, a loud knock suddenly came from the door.

“Xiao jin!” Mrs. Yan shouted from outside.

Shen Jintai hurriedly ran over and opened the door. Mrs. Yan continue calling to him as she said: “Qiuchi seems to be drunk… You wait, wait. I’ll call him.”

Mrs. Yan said as she gave him her cell phone. Shen Jintai hurridly took it and answered: “Hello?”

There was only a slight sound of breathing on the other end of the phone.

“Hello?” Shen Jintai glanced at Mrs. Yan with a worried expression: “Yan Qiuchi?”

Yan Qiuchi: “Nn.”

Shen Jintai: “Where are you?”

Yan Qiuchi “In…”

Suddenly a loud female voice came from the phone. An auntie shouted in her local dialect: “Sister Liu BBQ Restaurant!”

“Just stay there and wait for me.” Shen Jintai hung up the phone. He handed back the phone to Mrs. Yan.

Mrs. Yan said: “Where is he?”

“I know the place,” he said: “I’ll go pick him up.”

Bai Qingquan had already hung up the video chat. He came over and asked: “President Yan drank too much? Do you want me to go with you?”

Shen Jintai: “I’ll just go with Xiao Tang.”

Shen Jintai was being thoughtful. At the end of the day, Yan Qiuchi was Bai Qingquan’s boss. He might not want his subordinate seeing him drunk.

Shen Jintai went to put on his shoes. As he and Xiao Tang headed downstairs, Mrs. Yan stood in the corridor in a complicated mood that she couldn’t describe. She wasn’t sure if Yan Qiuchi was drunk or pretending to be drunk. She felt it was 90% true and 10% false.

“President Yan seemed to have something on his mind when he finished eating today.” Xiao Tang said while driving.

Shen Jintai searched the navigation on his phone and said: “He didn’t drive yet he still walked so far.”

When they arrived at the BBQ restaurant, it was already late into the night. The restaurant was still lively with multiple stalls placed outside. Many men were drinking and chatting.  Shen Jintai immediately saw Yan Qiuchi and hurried over.

Yan Qiuchi was lying on the table. Shen Jintai patted Yan Qiuchi on the back: “Yan Qiuchi.”

Yan Qiuchi immediately raised his head when he heard his name being called, startling Shen Jintai. Yan Qiuchi must’ve drunk a lot. His face was completely red and he looked extremely inebriated.

Yan Qiuchi gave him another once over and said: “You… you’re here.” His voice was light and gentle.

Yan Qiuchi wasn’t obnoxious when drunk. He still maintained his usual gentlemanly demeanor.

Shen Jintai asked Xiao Tang to pay, while he supported Yan Qiuchi and helped him up: “How could you drink so much?”

Yan Qiuchi whispered something to him but he couldn’t clearly hear it. He asked: “What?”

“Not good.” Yan Qiuchi said.

Shen Jintai was stunned for a bit then he smiled. Seeing his smile, Yan Qiuchi’s eyes lit up and he suddenly leaned forward and kissed Shen Jintai’s face.

Shen Jintai: “…”

Xiao Tang: “…”

Yan Qiuchi wanted to kiss him again, but Shen Jintai blocked his mouth with his hands. Yan Qiuchi’s lips were hot and soft, and wet with wine stains as they pressed against the palm of his hand. Shen Jintai quickly withdrew them.

Holy shit.

“Shen Jintai.” Yan Qiuchi said.

Xiao Tang was so scared that he stretched out his hands, not knowing if he wanted to help Shen Jintai or to hold it.

Yan Qiuchi’s whole body fell on Shen Jintai. Shen Jintai tried his best to support them while still keeping a bit of distance. Yan Qiuchi was mumbling to Shen Jintai. Shen Jintai responded to Yan Qiuchi saying: “Nn. I’m here.”

Yan Qiuchi seemed to be really drunk, otherwise he would not act like this. A man can look like a dog when he’s drunk so he shouldn’t be bothered by this. Yan Qiuchi didn’t speak but instead stretched out his long arms and hugged him. His tall body was strong and warm giving up a very domineering vibe

Yan Qiuchi then called to him: “Shen Jintai.”

The author has something to say：

Boo.

Kinky Thoughts: Yan Qiuchi’s 3 pillars of qualities: Honesty, Fidelity, Austerity.

Author: I’m not going to write anymore dog blooded dramas. I promised.
Next drama Shen Jintai’s in… he dies… again. -___-

Interesting, Yaoxuan and Qiuchi are truly brothers, though one was a pretender who doesn’t dare and the other is a drunk who loses all inhibitions.