The Perfect Relationship Ch 97

     🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 97: Insomnia Strikes Again

Thinking about everything that had happened, Lu Lingjuan glanced at Yin Chang with suspicion regarding his plans to take a vacation to accompany his younger brother. She thought to herself, "Doesn't Shao Junling seem fine on his own? It looks like Yin Chang is the one who needs his brother..."

Seeing Yin Chang with a furrowed brow, Lu Lingjuan knew that he had realized just how important Shao Junling was to him, so she decided not to say any more.

Yin Chang was lost in thought, but he wasn't worrying about how he would manage when his younger brother went abroad. Instead, he was trying to recall what had happened two years ago... He had forgotten everything that had happened when Shao Junling had brought him back home that night, but he vaguely remembered that it had been Shao Junling who took care of him.

That next morning, when he had woken up, Shao Junling had already gone to take a shower. Their blankets were all tangled up, and Yin Chang was the only one covered by them.

It had been the end of August, and Yin Chang didn't like the cold. He would always set the air conditioning on low, and even in the summer, he would wrap himself up in thick down blankets.

When Shao Junling had come out of the bathroom, Yin Chang had asked if he had hogged the blankets the night before.

What had Shao Junling's reaction been again?

"Is that all you remember?" Steam had been rising off his body after his shower, and Shao Junling had blushed slightly, his tone revealing a hint of awkward anger.

But Yin Chang hadn't worried about Shao Junling's little tantrum. He knew that his younger brother would never really be angry with him. He just chuckled before closing his eyes and going back to sleep.

Looking back on it now, was Shao Junling referring to the fact that Yin Chang had forgotten that he had brought him back home that night?

Yin Chang couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, but it had been two years since the incident, and no one really cared about it anymore. He didn't want to bring it up again.

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After finishing his last day of work before his vacation, Yin Chang returned home in a good mood. During dinner, he asked Shao Junling, "Is there anywhere you want to go or anything you want to do together? I have two months of vacation starting now!" He looked up at his brother with starry eyes, hoping to get a positive response.

But Shao Junling's face remained impassive as he put down his chopsticks and stared at Yin Chang.

Yin Chang said what he thought would be encouraging, "Give me some ideas!" 

However, Shao Junling repsponded rationally, "Doesn't your production start in September? Don't you have to study your script?" 

Yin Chang was surprised that Shao Junling knew about his work schedule, but still said, "But I have two months to do what I want... what about you? Don't you want to do something?" 

Shao Junling replied firmly, "I don't want to go anywhere. Plus, I still have things to do before I leave. I'm pretty busy." He lowered his head and continued eating. "You should focus on studying your script."

Yin Chang was at a loss for words.

Shao Junling paused before saying, "Leave your birthday open. I'll be with you then."

Yin Chang was annoyed by Shao Junling's attitude, "Shao Junling!"

Shao Junling hesitantly asked, "Do you want me to help you memorize your script?"

Yin Chang didn't answer.

Line readers helped actors memorize their lines by reading the other parts. When Yin Chang first started acting, he would typically ask Lu Lingjuan to line read. However, Lu Lingjuan couldn't accompany him all the time. After work, Yin Chang was often busy until nighttime so Shao Junling gradually became Yin Chang's line reader.

The script for "The Three Kingdoms of Power Struggle" was orders of magnitude larger than any drama Yin Chang had ever seen before. In order to memorize all the lines in the shortest amount of time possible, it was correct to cram and study as much as he could, and it was inevitable that he would have to study with Shao Junling.

However, after hearing Shao Junling's stoic response to his desire for a special vacation, Yin Chang was disappointed. He thought back to six years ago when he had excitedly traveled Switzerland with Shao Junling, and compared that to now...

Ah, why did his brother become less and less cute the bigger he got!

Late at night, Yin Chang grabbed his phone and opened WeChat, sending a baggy-eyed emoticon to Mi Xiu.

Mi Xiu replied, "...insomnia again?"

Yin Chang replied, "Yeah."

Mi Xiu replied, "Every time you have insomnia, you come bother me."

Yin Chang retorted, "Only someone as much of a workaholic as you would still be up at this time."

Mi Xiu then asked, "What's been up with you lately? You've been having insomnia often?"

Yin Chang replied, "I don't know."

Mi Xiu said, "Don't say 'I don't know.' There's no such thing. There's only 'I don't want to say.'"

Mi Xiu continued, "Do all your recent sleepless nights have to do with your brother?"

"Probably." Yin Chang couldn't think of any other reason.

Mi Xiu replied, "He hasn't even left yet and you're already having trouble sleeping. What are you going to do when he leaves?"

Yin Chang replied, "I don't know."

Mi Xiu said, "You're screwed."

Yin Chang exclaimed, "Don't say it like that! It's probably just that I'm not used to it."

Mi Xiu said, "Do you remember when I told you, 'I finally know why you were able to act well in "One Thought Difference"'?"

Yin Chang nodded.

Mi Xiu continued, "I thought that your attachment to family would restrict your career development. That's why I recommended 'The Three Kingdoms of Power Struggle' to you. Shao Junling will grow up eventually, and you'll have to take this step sooner or later."

However, the recent changes in Yin Chang's life puzzled Mi Xiu. "So you've been having insomnia lately because of your brother?"

"Uh-huh."

Mi Xiu was speechless. He had always felt the relationship between the two brothers was a little too intimate, and Yin Chang depended too much on Shao Junling.

Mi Xiu finally responded, "You're screwed."

Yin Chang furrowed his brow, recallijg that Mi Xiu had said something similar to him over WeChat after the wrap party of the drama. He had asked for the reason at the time, but Mi Xiu hadn't answered him then

Yin Chang: "What do you mean?"

Mi Xiu: "Basically, you are Gu Ling Shi, and Shao Jun Ling is your bear."

Yin Chang: "......"

When filming, Yin Chang did indeed imagine the bear as Shao Jun Ling, but he didn't think there was anything wrong with that. Substituting similar personal feelings to better capture emotions was a basic strategy for acting.

Mi Xiu: "But the difference between you and Gu Ling Shi is that he knows it's his mental illness, while you think it's normal."

Yin Chang: "= ="

Yin Chang was about to argue, when he heard Shao Jun Ling's voice in his ear: "Brother, you're not asleep yet?"

He quickly shut off the phone and whispered, "Someone messaged me."

Shao Jun Ling reached out from under the covers and intertwined their fingers. He whispered, "Don't look at your phone, just sleep."

With just this simple sentence and gesture, Yin Chang's restless mood instantly calmed down.

He held Shao Jun Ling's hand and closed his eyes, pondering briefly before falling into a deep sleep.

Because he had no work, Fiona let him sleep until midday the next day. When he awoke, he didn't see Shao Jun Ling. He asked Fiona, who said he had gone to school.

Fiona prepared food while saying, "You can ask him if he's coming back for lunch."

Just as Yin Chang was about to message him, the elevator door opened. It was July, the weather was getting hot, and Shao Jun Ling's forehead was beaded with sweat. He washed his face with cold water before sitting down at the table with Yin Chang.

Yin Chang asked him, "Don't you have three months of vacation before going abroad? The school isn't in session for the summer, what are you going there for?"

Shao Jun Ling replied, "The school studio."

Yin Chang nodded. Seeing how devoted he was to his major even during the holidays, Yin Chang was relieved that Shao Junling had made the right choice in picking the best college for the major.

In the afternoon, Shao Jun Ling didn't go out and stayed at home on his laptop. Yin Chang got tired of reading his script, got up to walk around and happened to see Fiona make juice for them. Yin Chang took a cup and walked over to give it to Shao Jun Ling. He glanced at Shao Jun Ling's computer screen and saw lines of code.

"What's this for?" Yin Chang asked casually.

"I'm writing a small program," Shao Jun Ling replied. Suddenly, a chat window popped up on the screen. "X said it would take at least half a month, and the fastest would be a month."

There were two more messages that followed, and Shao Jun Ling's face showed a hint of panic as he quickly closed his laptop.

Yin Chang was confused, having only seen the first message, which seemed mysterious.

Shao Jun Ling picked up the juice and took a sip, and then asked Yin Chang, "Brother, how's the script memorization going?"

Yin Chang had the script under his arm and stuttered for a moment before lightly smacking Shao Jun Ling's head with it. "Don't worry about it."

For several days, Shao Jun Ling would wake up early in the morning to go to school or the gym and then return home after lunch. In the evening, they would discuss the script and watch TV, or play games together.

Yin Chang gradually became accustomed to their routine and found it quite comfortable. Going out together would inevitably attract the attention of reporters or fans, which was quite troublesome.

Because of the routine, Yin Chang's efficiency in memorizing the script improved. In less than two weeks, he memorized it. But memorizing the script was just the first step - he still needed to consider the psychology of each character and how to perform it, which made Yin Chang feel quite stressed.

In mid-July, on the eve of Yin Chang's birthday, Shao Jun Ling asked him in the study, "Brother, it's your birthday tomorrow, do you have any other plans?"

Yin Chang replied, "No, why?"

Shao Jun Ling put his hands in his pockets and leaned back in his chair, saying with a grin, "Tomorrow at noon, I'll take you somewhere to eat." He looked like he had something good in mind.

Yin Chang laughed and said, "Don't tell me you're planning another 'surprise,' I've had enough of you guys bothering me."

"'Guys'? Who else?" Shao Jun Ling was puzzled.

Just one week ago, Yin Chang received a message from Mi Xiu, saying that Lu Ling Juan was preparing a surprise birthday party for him with a few friends from the entertainment circle. Yin Chang immediately called Lu Ling Juan and urged her to cancel it. Year after year, he felt that such fuss was too tiring.

When Shao Jun Ling said they would eat together, Yin Chang assumed it would just be the two of them having a meal at home, so hearing that it was going to be "outside" aroused some suspicion.

But Shao Jun Ling looked at him and said, "No one else, just you and me."

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🍁 Vignette

Shao Jun Ling: "You're not asleep?"

Yin Chang: "Someone messaged me."

Mi Xiu: "Who's messaging who???"

🍁 Vignette 2

Unseen chat log from Yin Chang:

He Hongjun: "X said it would take at least a month, and the fastest would be two months."

He Hongjun: "We've looked for all the suppliers we can find, but they all said they wouldn't take the job."

He Hongjun: "Honestly, X's workmanship is quite good, and their conditions are acceptable. Why do we need to finish it before July 17th? Don't we leave on August 19th?"

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The Perfect Relationship Ch 96

    🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 96: Drunken Outburst

"Two years ago?" Yin Chang searched his memories, recalling the celebration banquet that had been held at the Emperor Star Hotel. To be precise, it had not been two years, but rather in August of the year before last.

Due to the success of Yin Chang's role in "The Difference Between One Thought and Another," which received both high box office earnings and critical acclaim, the production team held a celebration banquet at the Emperor Star Hotel. Apart from the main cast, many other celebrities in the industry were also invited to attend.

This was Yin Chang's first time participating in a film as a male lead. Unlike his invisible leading role in "The Blind Man," Yin Chang had many scenes in "The Difference Between One Thought and Another." It was this film that greatly improved Yin Chang's reputation in the film industry. Therefore, at the celebration banquet, he was surrounded by people toasting and congratulating him.

But that day, Yin Chang's mood seemed off.

Although the success of the film was pleasing, the overwhelming praise made him feel undeserving. He believed his success was mostly due to luck rather than his own talent. So in this kind of situation filled with surface compliments, Yin Chang felt tremendous pressure. Especially when those people repeatedly mentioned Yin Dong in front of him. They all smiled and said that Yin Chang's future was promising, that he would eventually surpass Yin Dong and become the first-ever father-son duo to win Best Actor awards in the history of film.

Those words did not make Yin Chang happy, but rather made him feel embarrassed. His father, Yin Dong, was an outstanding actor, and Yin Chang had never thought about surpassing him.

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Since Yin Chang was stressed, he unconsciously drank more.

Even so, he maintained a certain level of sobriety. After all, this was in the entertainment industry, and as a celebrity, he paid great attention to his public image. The worst thing was to lose control due to alcohol.

Before the banquet ended, Yin Chang realized that he wasn't feeling well, so he immediately asked Lu Lingjuan to arrange for him to leave early. Lu Lingjuan took him to a private room to rest, and then called a driver.

After that, Yin Chang couldn't remember what happened.

The next day, he woke up at home. Later, Lu Lingjuan called to ask how he was feeling, but didn't say anything else. Yin Chang thought the driver Brother Qi had brought him back.

"Why did I have Shao Junling come to pick me up? Was it necessary?" Yin Chang looked confused.

"Yes! You couldn't stand up as soon as you entered the room and complained of dizziness. I couldn't carry you by myself, so I went out to find someone to help. I ran into Mi Xiu..." Lu Lingjuan explained.

Mi Xiu was also there that day. Although he wasn't an actor in "The Difference Between One Thought and Another," he was friends with Yin Chang, and the production team knew several directors and actors who were acquainted with him, so he was invited to attend. He saw Lu Lingjuan helping Yin Chang into a private room, and followed her, knocking on the door to ask if Yin Chang was feeling unwell.

Lu Lingjuan frankly said yes, and since she wanted to go down to meet Brother Qi, she asked Mi Xiu to look after Yin Chang temporarily.

"Did you forget that I let Mi Xiu in?" Lu Lingjuan said afterward, "Oh my god, you must've already been black out drunk by that time!"

Yin Chang: "..."

In fact, if it was any other celebrity, Lu Lingjuan would not have allowed anyone in, but Mi Xiu was different. Yin Chang and Mi Xiu had become great friends since meeting six years ago on "Super Star Life." They not only showed their friendship publicly, but also often chatted, drank tea, and watched movies together in private, and talked about everything under the sun.

Lu Lingjuan knew their relationship well, so she relaxed her guard toward Mi Xiu. She couldn't just leave Yin Chang alone in the private room, what if a waiter or someone else came in and harassed him? Such incidents had happened before in the industry.

When Lu Lingjuan left, Yin Chang was still resting with his eyes closed, so she thought he was still sober.

However, when she came back, she saw Mi Xiu squatting in front of Yin Chang, amusedly teasing him.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Mi Xiu waved a finger in front of Yin Chang's eyes.

"One." Yin Chang's eyes went blank, but he could still answer correctly.

"How about now?" Mi Xiu held up two fingers.

Yin Chang frowned at Mi Xiu's V sign and said, "Are you trying to show off again?"

Mi Xiu burst out laughing, "Are you drunk?"

"No." Yin Chang spoke with clear diction.

"Then who am I?" Mi Xiu pointed to himself.

"Big Mi." Yin Chang said.

"Wrong," corrected Mi Xiu, "I'm your big brother!"

Yin Chang: "..."

Neither of them could've guessed how their random chit chat would trigger a complete loss of rationality in Yin Chang.

Brother Qi had planned to help Yin Chang down the stairs, but before he came any closer, Yin Chang shouted at him to "get lost" and stopped him in his tracks.

Lu Lingjuan tried to soothe him, "You'll see your younger brother when you get home."

"No, I want to see Shao Junling now!" Yin Chang suddenly became a bit domineering. He pounded the table stubbornly, demanding his brother come and pick him up.

Even Mi Xiu didn't expect his casual joke to provoke Yin Chang into his current state. The three of them looked at each other helplessly, with Lu Lingjuan asking, "Now what do we do?"

"...Knock him out and carry him home?" suggested Mi Xiu with a silly idea.

As soon as he spoke, Yin Chang's intense gaze swept over them, frightening all three of them into hiding their heads.

The driver Brother Qi timidly raised his hands in surrender: "Yin Chang knows Thai boxing, I've sparred with him before and couldn't beat him. Maybe he even knows Drunken boxing, which is even more powerful!"

The others remained silent.

Yin Chang surveyed the room, but couldn't see his younger brother Shao Junling. He muttered his brother's name and decided to search for him. As he stood up, he began to sway and lose his balance. Lu Lingjuan panicked and yelled, "Hold him down!"

With courage, Mi Xiu pushed him down and urged, "What are we waiting for? Where's Shao Junling? Hurry up and call him!"

"What happened next?" Yin Chang asked, astonished.

"Your brother arrived," Lu Lingjuan replied.

Luckily, when Lu Lingjuan had called him, Shao Junling had just departed from the martial arts gym nearby the hotel where they were celebrating. Shao Junling's chauffeur, Fang Shu, also happened to be nearby. In less than half an hour, Shao Junling arrived.

But drunk people were unpredictable. Even in just that half an hour, Yin Chang had put Lu Lingjuan and the others through enough trouble. He didn't hit Mi Xiu, but Mi Xiu couldn't keep him down. Yin Chang stubbornly stood up over and over again, grabbing anything he could reach to steady himself. Eventually, he got irritated and started throwing things, knocking over the potted plants and tea cups.

Mi Xiu couldn't handle him and made Brother Qi take over for a while. In a moment of inspiration, Mi Xiu ran out and came back carrying a white plush teddy bear used as a prop in "One Thought Away", the movie Yin Chang had starred in. In the movie, Yin Chang's character was an exceptional elite with severe insomnia. He had to hug a teddy bear every night to fall asleep. To maintain his image and keep his secret, he endured all sorts of misunderstandings from his friends, secretary, and even his ex-girlfriend, but he refused to explain the reason for his peculiar habit. Later, he was sent on a short-term business trip overseas. He took the teddy bear with him in a large suitcase, but it was taken by the female lead Jing Ruoxi by mistake, leading to their love story.

Although the teddy bear was just a prop, it was an irreplaceable "character" in the movie. It was only natural for it to appear at the celebration.

After the party, an assistant of a female celebrity reportedly wanted to take the teddy bear home, but she and the bear were intercepted by Mi Xiu as they were taking it off the platform. He said, "Let me borrow it for a bit," and took it back to the private room. Gasping for breath, he stuffed it into Yin Chang's arms and said, "Your brother's here."

Sure enough, Yin Chang calmed down instantly, embracing the teddy bear with a dreamy look on his face.

The female celebrity and her assistant followed Mi Xiu and watched in amazement as Yin Chang clung to the toy bear, whispering a name.

The female celebrity's name was Xu Xiaolan, and she played Yin Chang's girlfriend in the movie. Although she was less famous than Yin Chang, she was his senior in the entertainment industry. Lu Lingjuan couldn't drive them away, so she invited them into the private room and closed the door to avoid attracting a larger crowd.

Xu Xiaolan asked, "What's wrong with Yin Chang?"

Mi Xiu gloated, "He's drunk!"

Xu Xiaolan saw that Yin Chang was drunk, but the way he hugged the teddy bear made her think of the male lead in "One Thought Away." She had worked with many actors before and knew that most of them were very different in real life from their on-screen personas, but Yin Chang...if he wasn't playing himself, Xu Xiaolan could only say that he might have been too immersed in his role. As long as it didn't cause trouble, it would raise his popularity. 

After Shao Junling took Yin Chang away, Lu Lingjuan asked Xu Xiaolan not to tell anyone about Yin Chang's drunken embarrassment to save his face. Xu Xiaolan joked, "This will only boost Yin Chang's popularity. He didn't go crazy, he just hugged a teddy bear. How cute!"

Of course, Lu Lingjuan also warned the unscrupulous Mi Xiu, who winked at her and said, "Depends on my mood."

But now, looking back, both of them had kept the secret for almost two years, and Yin Chang still didn't know about his embarrassing episode.

"Seriously, Shao Junling has changed so much in the last two years," Lu Lingjuan sighed.

When Shao Junling arrived that night, he nodded at everyone and said goodbye politely as he left, leaving everyone impressed with his calm demeanor. No one could believe he was only fifteen years old...yes, that was his age at the time.

Later, Xu Xiaolan asked Lu Lingjuan who picked up Yin Chang. She said it was his younger brother, Shao Junling. 

Xu Xiaolan was surprised, "The brother who was with Yin Chang in that variety show?"

Lu Lingjuan confirmed it, and Xu Xiaolan was even more surprised: "How did he grow so tall? I couldn't recognize him."

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The Perfect Relationship Ch 95

   🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 95: Habitual Dependence

With Shao Junling's abilities, taking the TOEFL exam was a piece of cake. Yin Chang wasn't worried about the exam results, but Shao Junling wouldn't give him a clear answer, leaving him hanging in uncertainty.

Regardless of whether Shao Junling would go abroad or not, Yin Chang was determined to play the role of Cao Pi.

The lines in the costume drama were extremely difficult to recite. After practicing, Yin Chang's head was pounding. Later, he realized that he had no foundation in classical Chinese and had taken on a role with such a large script. It was like digging his own grave.

In addition to memorizing lines, Yin Chang also had to learn about ancient Chinese culture, such as proper sitting posture, walking style, and the body language of daily greetings. Although there were professionals and directors on set to guide them, he still had to do some homework in advance.

Therefore, with immense pressure, Yin Chang could only start preparing as soon as possible, and he had less time available than before.

Two months passed like this, and one day, Yin Chang returned home very late and saw Shao Junling sitting on the bed with his laptop.

"You haven't slept yet?" Yin Chang took off his windbreaker and hung it on the coat rack. The weather had turned warm recently, and he had been shooting outside all day, sweating profusely. He quickly took a shower and came out to see Shao Junling still sitting in the center of the bed. "What's wrong? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Brother," Shao Junling looked at him and whispered, "I received an acceptance letter from L University."

Yin Chang was stunned. Didn't Shao Junling receive the conditional acceptance letter six months ago?

Oh, wait, that was a conditional letter. Could he have received the official acceptance now?

Shao Junling confirmed Yin Chang's guess with his next words: "I start in August this year."

Yin Chang's eyes lit up, but he soon became downcast.

He had heard the answer he wanted, but he couldn't be happy. Because Shao Junling's delay had worn down Yin Chang's initial impulse, coupled with the fact that the recent script of the costume drama had been tormenting him, Yin Chang thought over and over again that the deal seemed a little unfair.

However, Yin Chang's rationality quickly overcame his emotions. He pretended to be excited, As expected, you're amazing.... when are you leaving? Should I book your flight for you?"

He lifted the blanket and got into bed, but his brain was quickly thinking: Shao Junling would be leaving in less than three months. That was too soon...

"How much is the tuition? When do you have to pay it? Do you not have a VISA yet? You should ask Uncle Wang to help you get one when you have time. I will transfer money to your card every year…" Yin Chang remembered that when he was studying at Pasadena High School, Yin Dong would deposit seventy to eighty thousand dollars into his account each year, which was about five hundred thousand RMB. Yin Chang wasn't extravagant, but he didn't skimp on spending either. It had been many years since then, and prices had gone up. Shao Junling would be studying at a prestigious university and would come into contact with famous people from all walks of life. He couldn't be shy about not having enough money.

"Is $200,000 a year enough?" Yin Chang asked, considering the costs. "Do you want to buy a car? You can drive at the age of seventeen in America."

Shao Junling: "..."

When Yin Chang studied in Pasadena, he had a car. He didn't have time to sell it before returning to China, and it had been sitting in the garage all these years. He didn't know if it had become junk.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Yin Chang suddenly remembered something. "Which city is L University in? Is it San Francisco?"

Shao Junling closed his laptop and placed it on the bedside table, calling out, "Brother."

Yin Chang: "Isn't that close to Los Angeles? You can come to Pasadena and take a look. There's a villa there that I used to live in..."

Shao Junling: "Brother..."

Yin Chang: "But it hasn't been lived in for many years. Why don't you take Fiona with you? You can visit every weekend, and she can cook for you... Or you could rent a house in San Francisco..."

"Brother!" Shao Junling raised his voice, silencing Yin Chang.

"Don't you trust me to take care of myself?"

Yin Chang: "Uh, yeah..."

Shao Junling looked at him speechlessly. "Why don't you come with me if you're so worried?"

Yin Chang blinked. "...I have to work."

Shao Junling paused for two seconds, "You don't have to worry about me so much. I can handle it myself."

This sentence blocked all of Yin Chang's concern, and he suddenly felt very despondent.

Although he had been back in China for many years, he had lived in America for more than ten years and had a lot of experience to share with his younger brother. However, his brother didn't seem to need it...

Come to think of it, his younger brother could repair VCRs and projectors and spoke English fluently. If he wasn't lacking money, was there anything he couldn't handle?

At this moment, Shao Junling seemed to have seen through Yin Chang's thoughts, "It's late. You should sleep. I have three months of vacation before going abroad. You can take your time to tell me anything you need to."

Yin Chang originally wanted to offer help, but when Shao Junling said "tell me," their roles seemed to have reversed.

Yin Chang smiled bitterly, "Okay..."

Ah, he had to adapt to this process sooner or later.

He didn't sleep well all night. When he woke up in the morning with sore eyes, he saw that Shao Junling was still lying beside him with his eyes closed.

Shao Junling usually went for a morning run and then went to school at this time. Why was he still lying down today?

Oh, he almost forgot, this guy was on vacation now, probably not in a hurry to go to school.

Taking advantage of Shao Junling still sleeping, Yin Chang quietly reached out and rubbed his head.

Oh, the hair was so stiff, not as soft as when he was a child...

After Yin Chang got out of bed, Shao Junling opened his eyes. Watching his brother's back as he left, he let out a sigh, feeling a bit melancholy.

After a few days, Yin Chang asked Lu Lingjuan, "Can you check my schedule before August? How many days off do I have?"

Lu Lingjuan flipped through the calendar. "You have off in July and August, no plans."

Yin Chang thought he heard wrong. "Hmm?"

"In fact, it's not really a break," Lu Lingjuan explained. "Manager Yao scheduled two-months for you to focus on studying the script and adjusting your mindset before filming for 'The Three Kingdoms of Power Struggle,' starts."

Yin Chang realized that before every filming, there would indeed be a few days of rest. But the projects he accepted before were all very short, so the time never exceeded a week, and sometimes he would just use the time to memorize lines. He initially thought it was the same this time, so he started reading the script early and even asked the teacher for extra lessons on ancient costume dramas. Yao Manhuai and Lu Lingjuan just thought he was diligent, so they didn't think much of it, since Yin Chang had always been serious and dedicated.

Now that he heard he had two months of vacation, Yin Chang felt like he had gotten a big surprise and was overjoyed.

Lu Lingjuan asked again, "You just asked me about your days off. What were you planning to do?"

"Oh, Shao Junling is going to study abroad in August, I want to spend more time with him before he leaves," Yin Chang said without hesitation.

"Studying abroad? Is he transferring to a foreign high school?" Lu Lingjuan asked curiously.

"He's going to university," Yin Chang replied.

"University?" Lu Lingjuan was shocked. "Has time gone by so fast? I feel like he just started high school not too long ago?"

"It’s been two years already," Yin Chang said happily. The day before yesterday, Mr. He called Yin Chang and he took the opportunity to ask about Shao Junling's situation. “I heard from his teacher that he took the national college entrance exam early this year, and passing it means he graduates from high school. So he won’t participate in the domestic college entrance exam.”

"Oh, I thought he had skipped a grade again," Lu Lingjuan counted on her fingers. "How old is he now?"

"He just turned 17 last year," Yin Chang said grinning. "He was still in Grade 1 of primary school when he was 11 years old. Now he’s 17 and studying at university. Isn't that amazing?"

"Amazing..." Lu Lingjuan marveled, and then asked, "But what about when he goes abroad? What will you do?"

"What do you mean, what will I do?" Yin Chang felt that Lu Lingjuan's question was a bit inexplicable.

"You are so dependent on him, can you bear to let him leave?" Lu Lingjuan looked at him.

"Not...where am I dependent on him?" Yin Chang had a face full of question marks.

Gradually, Lu Lingjuan's gaze at Yin Chang changed from surprise to unimpressed. Wow, Yin Chang depended on Shao Junling so much in his personal life but had no self-awareness?

As Yin Chang's life assistant, Lu Lingjuan often went to his home for work and had seen many sides of Yin Chang that others didn't know.

She remembered last year's Mid-Autumn Festival, when she went to his place early to deliver mooncakes given by a cooperation partner, Fiona had just made a pot of lobster bisque, and Yin Chang had invited her to have dinner together.

After the meal, Yin Chang suggested making tea and dividing the box of mooncakes to eat.

The mooncake gift box was made into the shape of a moon palace, and Yin Chang liked it very much but didn't know how to open it. He naturally called Shao Junling over to do it, and Shao Junling asked him, "Do you want to put it back together after opening it?"

Yin Chang said yes, so Shao Junling carefully opened the box in front of them, took out the mooncakes, and then put it back together intact.

Yin Chang held the box and put it on the coffee table, still joking if a rabbit could be raised inside.

Lu Lingjuan still vividly remembered Yin Chang's childish expression...

After making tea and dividing mooncakes to eat, Lu Lingjuan went to help Fiona. Shao Junling followed to get the milk and saw Lu Lingjuan looking for the tea jar, so he said, "He likes the blue jar, um...put a little less, he won't be able to sleep if he drinks too much at night."

Lu Lingjuan was stunned, hearing Fiona laugh beside her. "Yes, Xiaochang drinks tea like a bottomless pit."

Lu Lingjuan was good at observing people's expressions and speech,l. These small details that others might look over, she noticed.

Also, when Yin Chang was at home, he always habitually called Shao Junling - asking him where the car keys were, where the contract was placed. Once when he had a slight cold, he even had to ask if he had taken his cold medicine that day.

Lu Lingjuan was stunned at the time, clearly she was just a life assistant, but after seeing Yin Chang's interaction with Shao Junling like that, she suddenly realized that if Shao Junling were to compete with her for this position, she might be out of a job...

Actually, she knew there were some celebrities who were life idiots, depending on their managers and assistants for everything except work, but she never thought Yin Chang was like this in private. Because Yin Chang appeared very independent outside. But when he was with Shao Junling, he didn't seem to use his brain much.

Later, Lu Lingjuan felt that this might have been caused by Shao Junling spoiling him too much.

Yes, with Shao Junling's great memory, he was like a living memo, answering Yin Chang's every question and request. They spent everyday together, so it was no wonder that Yin Chang became so dependent on him.

Seeing Yin Chang's bewildered expression, Lu Lingjuan couldn't help reminding him, "Do you remember two years ago at our celebration banquet, when you got drunk and insisted that Shao Junling come pick you up?"

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🍁 Translator’s Note:

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The Perfect Relationship Ch 92

   🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 92 Poor Acting

The conversation in the living room continued for a while longer until the other person suddenly said he had to leave. Yin Chang made some noise in the hallway, put his shoes on again, and pretended that he had just arrived home. 

Shao Junling heard the commotion and came over. He saw Yin Chang changing his shoes and asked, "Brother?" 

Yin Chang replied and looked towards the guy who followed Shao Junling. "Your friend?" 

The guy was about the same height as Shao Junling, slightly thin, and had a clean and upright appearance. 

Shao Junling introduced him as his classmate from De International, He Hongjun. "He... just happened to pass by, so I asked him to come up and sit for a while." 

"Hello," Yin Chang nodded at He Hongjun. "It's rare for Junling to invite a classmate to come over, welcome." 

He Hongjun stared at Yin Chang dumbfoundedly for a long time, until Shao Junling patted his arm to signal him to move his gaze away. He stammered and said, "Hi, big... big brother." 

Yin Chang laughed at the title, "Staying for dinner?" 

Shao Junling took their jackets and refused, "No, he has to leave now." He pushed the dazed He Hongjun into the elevator, "I'll go down and send him off." 

Yin Chang: "..."

He Hongjun had been silent since they got into the elevator, until they reached the ground floor. He looked at Shao Junling with a complex expression and said, "Hey, Shao Junling, are you...?" He hesitated before finally blurting out the last two words, "in love with your brother?" 

Shao Junling: "..."

"I mean, your brother is really good-looking... no, he's too good-looking... I just saw him and I was a little stunned, it's kind of embarrassing. If there was such a beautiful person who asked me to 'stay with them' or 'not leave them,' even I would find it hard to refuse... so, I think I understand what you said earlier..." 

Shao Junling: "..."

A black car slowly stopped at the entrance of the community. Shao Junling opened the passenger door and said to the driver, "Uncle Fang, please send my friend to where he wants to go later." 

"But to be honest, Shao Junling," He Hongjun looked at him sympathetically, "understanding doesn't mean agreeing. I admit, anyone can be attracted by beautiful things, but a real man should have his own goals. I think someone like you shouldn't be swayed by beauty..." 

Shao Junling gave him a dangerous look and a contemptuous middle finger, "Shut up and get out." 

He Hongjun: "..."

Back at home, Shao Junling walked into the living room and saw that Yin Chang had changed out of his complicated outfit. He was wearing only a loose silk shirt and pants, and was sitting cross-legged on the sofa trimming his toenails. This action would appear vulgar and crude in nine out of ten people, but Yin Chang still looked elegant while doing it... even a bit sexy because he exposed a large area of the nape of his neck while looking down. 

"Did your friend leave?" Yin Chang looked up and continued his actions. He wanted to appear as relaxed as possible and not let Shao Junling see anything suspicious. 

"Yeah." Shao Junling felt that the heating was turned up a notch again and felt hot even after taking off his down jacket. 

"Are you close with him?" Apart from Xue Ziwen, this was the first time Yin Chang saw any of Shao Junling's friends come to their house. However, since Shao Junling skipped so many grades, his contact with Xue Ziwen had also decreased significantly. The young master from the Xue family was studying hard and had only just started middle school this year. 

"We're pretty close," Shao Junling replied. If they weren't close, he wouldn't have let him come to his house. "I mentioned before about the FRC competition. We did the core programming for the robot together." 

"If you're that close, why didn't you have him stay longer?" Yin Chang teased him, pretending to not know their previous conversation. "You invite people over and then kick them out as soon as I arrive. Why, I can't be seen by others?" 

Shao Junling glanced at Yin Chang and thought to himself that he really couldn't be seen by others. He was even told that "beauty can be dangerous." 

But Shao Junling couldn't say that out loud, "He had something to do later. When you came he was already planning to leave." 

Yin Chang nodded and didn't ask any further. 

After he finished clipping his toenails, Yin Chang grabbed a few wet wipes from the coffee table and wiped his toes and cleaned up the nail clippers. Then he stood up and washed his hands before coming out again. When he saw that Shao Junling was still sitting on the sofa browsing his phone, Yin Chang recalled something, "Oh, does your friend plan to study abroad?" 

Shao Junling was startled and looked at Yin Chang sharply, "Did you hear what we said earlier?" 

"What?" Yin Chang pretended to be clueless, but his heart was beating rapidly. This child was too sharp now, and he couldn't fool him so easily. 

"...Nothing," Shao Junling lowered his head. "My classmate also talked to me about going abroad today." 

Yin Chang didn't expect him to be so frank and straightforward. He poured himself a glass of water and sat down, "So what did you say?" 

"I said I'm not going," Shao Junling repeated. 

"Why not?" Yin Chang was puzzled. "Your teacher and your friend are both telling you that going abroad to study is a better choice for your major. Your English is also good. Why are you afraid of going abroad?" 

Shao Junling looked at Yin Chang, "It's not that." 

"Then what is it? You can't get in?" 

Shao Junling didn't answer and continued to stare at him. Yin Chang felt nervous under his gaze, and he suddenly laughed, "Is it because you don't want to leave me?" He looked at Shao Junling with sparkling eyes and a teasing tone, making it hard for anyone to take him seriously. 

Headstrong Shao Junling looked away and refused to admit it, "You're so narcissistic." 

"Alright" Yin Chang shook his head helplessly. "Going abroad to study for a few years doesn't mean you can't come back. Mr. He has already advised you, your classmate has advised you, and now I advise you. I don't know why you're so obsessed with this matter." 

"You're advising me?" Shao Junling looked at Yin Chang. His gaze showed surprised. "You want me to leave?" 

"Going abroad is a better choice for you at this stage," Yin Chang replied. 

"What about you?" Shao Junling asked.

"Me?" Yin Chang knew that Shao Junling cared about his thoughts, so he deliberately said, "Of course, I hope you can go abroad to experience new things. And when you leave, I can also relax and enjoy myself for two years."

"...Relax and enjoy?" Shao Junling stared at him in disbelief.

"Isn't it?" Yin Chang gestured. "You know, I was only eighteen when I brought you home to start taking care of you, protecting you, and educating you. Every day, I had to worry about you. I've put so much effort and thought into you these past six years. I didn't even have time nor energy to go on dates. I was almost like a monk. Now that you're grown up, it's time for you to learn to be independent."

Shao Junling: "..."

Shao Junling had a complicated expression on his face. He had said "not going abroad" several times in front of Yin Chang, not to put pressure on him, but to see his joyful reaction after seeing he had decided to stay, just like last year...

If his brother could just honestly say, "That's great," he'd be ecstatic.

After all, being with him has always made Yin Chang very happy.

But Yin Chang's words just now revealed another sentiment – that he thought he was a bother and wanted him to leave.

Shao Junling's anger and annoyance boiled up in his heart. For the first time, he wondered whether he had been delusional.

No, it shouldn't be like this...

Shao Junling calmed down his chaotic mind.

During these two thousand days and nights together, Shao Junling had seen Yin Chang in countless different states, proud and unrestrained, happy and laughing, sad and lost, sensitive and fragile... Every moment he spent with Yin Chang, he had observed him. After six years, Shao Junling was too familiar with this person. He could even feel whether his brother was happy even with his eyes closed.

In these two years, although Yin Chang's acting skills had improved a lot because of filming, in Shao Junling's eyes, those disguises he thought were mature were still awkward. Although he may be unaware, Shao Junling was too lazy to expose him. He had been "letting him have his way" since five years ago and had indulged Yin Chang all the time.

Although the meaning of Yin Chang's words just now was to drive him away, every word was full of "reluctance" and "unease" due to the insincerity of his words.

Once you've seen what's real, you can clearly distinguish what's fake.

There was a big difference between being truly relaxed and pretending to be relaxed. Even if Yin Chang was cutting his toenails in front of Shao Junling, he couldn't hide anything.

He was lying to him, and Shao Junling was very sure of that.

However, Shao Junling also had emotions. When he heard Yin Chang say those words, he would also feel sad, wronged, and even angry.

He looked at Yin Chang, restrained himself, and finally just frowned and said, "I'll...consider it."

Yin Chang felt relieved that his goal was halfway achieved.

Half a month later, Yin Chang asked Shao Junling whether he had made a decision.

Shao Junling glanced at him, "Do you really want me to go?"

Yin Chang: "..." Did he want that?

Just as he was about to argue, Yin Chang realized that he had almost fallen into Shao Junling's trap. When Shao Junling asked it like this, it seemed that if he really left, it was because he pushed him away.

But, he wasn't completely wrong.

Yin Chang said, "I just got a new role."

Shao Junling: "Hmm?"

Yin Chang: "It's a long historical TV series. It starts in September next year and will last for eight months."

He didn't want his existence to become a burden for Shao Junling, so he had to find a way to cut off Shao Junling's childish clinginess.

Shao Junling widened his eyes. As far as he knew, his brother had never picked up this kind of drama before, and he rarely lived with the crew for such a long time... Could it be because of him?

- That was right, once Yin Chang started filming, he and Shao Junling wouldn’t be able to see each other. So, there was no difference between him going abroad and staying in the country.

Shao Junling felt helpless. Actually, he had made a decision in his heart, but he had been hesitating. However, Yin Chang's actions had forced his decision to surface earlier.

"What character are you playing?" Shao Junling didn't want to just let Yin Chang's words go, so he talked about the current topic.

"Cao Pi," Yin Chang said.

Shao Junling asked calmly, "He was a very politically savvy figure. Are you sure you can play it well with your silly personality, brother?"

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Yin Chang: "You hurry up and go abroad!"

Shao Junling: "...Okay, I'll go." 

Shao Junling thinking: Just wait and see. I'll make you realize you can't bear to leave me behind!

🍁 Translator’s Note:

💕 Chapter #2 sponsored by Yaara. Thank you so much for your support again! 💕

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The Perfect Relationship Ch 93

   🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 93 Recording Machine

Yin Chang was taken aback. "What did you say?"

Shao Junling's words hit too many sore points for Yin Chang. The key was that his tone did not sound like he was belittling him at all, but as if he was stating an objective fact. This made Yin Chang feel a simmering anger that he couldn't express, which was swirling in his chest.

He was silly? Where was he silly?

Your IQ is high, but does having a high IQ mean you can look down on your brother, an ordinary person?

Amongst actors, there are many with worse insight than him. How can someone with five years of experience as an actor not be able to play a mere Cao Pi?

Furthermore, what's up with this kid? Was he too indulgent? When did this punk start using this kind of attitude to talk to him?

......

Actually, Shao Junling admitted that his brother's taste in scripts was good, although he rarely inquired about them. He has watched every movie and TV series Yin Chang has acted in. Several of them Yin Chang was even praised for his good performance and excellent acting skills.

But the characters Yin Chang played in these dramas also happen to have some traits that were consistent with Yin Chang's own. As long as he presented his true self, he would become a shining point in the eyes of the audience. Strictly speaking, that wasn't acting, but naturalness.

Therefore, if the drama his brother spoke of was a historical drama that was true to history, Shao Junling did not think that the role of Cao Pi was suitable for Yin Chang.

Ignoring Yin Chang's reaction, Shao Junling asked, "Have you read the script? What's the story about?"

"It's about the power struggles in the Three Kingdoms. I only read a part of it, it's a big cast drama, and it's pretty exciting..." Yin Chang replied vaguely.

Listening to Yin Chang's tone, Shao Junling was more sure in his heart that this script was a last-minute choice and the role was chosen hastily. Because Yin Chang usually read every script he picked up thoroughly and even talked to Shao Junling a few times about his favorite parts.

But this time, Yin Chang couldn't come up with much to say, and he even chose a drama that would last for eight months just to ease his mind about going abroad.

This self-harming behavior... was it not silly?

Shao Junling asked, "Will you be able to adapt to being in the unit for eight months?"

Yin Chang's feeling of discomfort was slowly dispelled by Shao Junling's question. "It's okay, I won't be there for the entire eight months. I'll occasionally go out to participate in variety shows or something. Plus, Mi Xiu also accepted this drama, so when the time comes, I..."

Shao Junling interrupted him. "Mi Xiu is going too?"

"Yes." Yin Chang glanced at him from the corner of his eyes  "I've told you many times, stop calling him 'Mi Xiu.' Call him 'Mi Xiu gege.'"

Shao Junling asked, "What role is he playing?"

Yin Chang smiled. "He's playing 'my' younger brother, Cao Zhi, haha."

Shao Junling thought he had guessed it with eighty to ninety percent accuracy. This drama was indeed decided after Yin Chang considered Shao Junling's going abroad. The only difference was the role was not chosen hastily. Three months ago, Yin Chang had received an invitation to this drama, and he had known for a long time that Mi Xiu would play "Cao Zhi." At that time, Mi Xiu texted him to ask if he was interested in trying it out and even joked that if Yin Chang wished, the two of them could act out a "love-hate" brotherhood in the drama.

Yin Chang didn't take it to heart at the time. He was considering the fact that the shooting time for that drama was too long, and he was afraid he wouldn't adapt to being in the unit for too long. Moreover, he wasn't too familiar with the Three Kingdoms history, and he was too busy to read the script.

It wasn't until half a month ago that he inadvertently heard Shao Junling and He Hongjun's conversation...

These days, not only was Shao Junling hesitating, Yin Chang was also struggling with his own thoughts. He had thought about it a lot and later realized that Shao Junling's obsession might be related to their relationship over the past few years.

Perhaps it was because Yin Chang had been left behind by Yin Dong for years when he was young, and now that he had become a parent and an actor, he would consider Shao Junling's feelings for each job he took - whether he would be away from home for too long, whether he would make Shao Junling worry, whether he would cause any rumors that would reflect badly on his family...

He knew that Shao Junling would grow up and have his own life in the future, but subconsciously, he still treated the other as a child and didn't adjust his attitude properly.

All the conflicts between the two of them over the past year were caused by this wrong self-positioning.

As Shao Junling still hadn't made a decision, Yin Chang also felt a lot of pressure, fearing that this kid would be too resistant to change.

Two days ago, he chatted with Mi Xiu for a little while, and Mi Xiu mentioned "The Romance of Three Kingdoms" again. He said that the casting crew had been unable to find a suitable actor to play "Cao Pi," and that the director was quite interested in Yin Chang and asked if he wanted to try out.

Yin Chang thought about it and felt it was a good opportunity for a change. So he made up his mind and accepted the drama.

Shao Junling sat there and suddenly lowered his head to recite: "Boiling beans to make a soup, filtering the solids to get the liquid. The cattail is lit, and the beans weep in the pot..."

"What?" Yin Chang didn't react.

Shao Junling looked at him and said, "'Your' younger brother wrote this poem to you."

"My brother? You mean Cao Zhi?" Yin Chang asked, confused. "What does this poem mean?"

He had received Western education since childhood, could speak four languages, knew how to ski and ride horses, but was not familiar with ancient Chinese history.

Shao Junling said, "Cao Zhi was more favored by Cao Cao than Cao Pi when they were young because of his eloquence. After Cao Cao passed away, Cao Pi succeeded the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, overthrowing the Han dynasty. Perhaps due to the differential treatment by their father since childhood, Cao Pi felt that his younger brother would threaten his position and suppressed him at every turn, exiling him to live in a faraway place. As if that wasn't enough, Cao Pi even wanted to kill him on the charge of 'rebellion', but gave him a chance at the last moment. He told him to compose a poem with seven steps, and if the poem satisfied him, he would spare his life. Therefore, this poem was also known as the 'Seven Steps Poem'. There were two additional lines at the end, which meant 'we are born of the same root, why so quick to kill each other?' One was to accuse his brother of being heartless, and the other was to beg for mercy to save his own life... This poem was very famous. We learned it in junior high school."

"What happened next? Did Cao Pi spare him?" Yin Chang asked eagerly.

"He did spare him, but our Chinese teacher said in class that because Cao Zhi lived in fear of being killed by his brother every day, the rest of his life was not easy either." Shao Junling finished and looked at Yin Chang with a look of disbelief. "Brother, you're too softhearted. You can't play Cao Pi."

Yin Chang listened and was completely lost in thought...

Wait, weren't they discussing Shao Junling? Was he going abroad or not? He hasn't given me an answer yet!

Realizing that playing Cao Pi may not be as he imagined, Yin Chang quickly found time to carefully read the script again.

Because it was a historical drama, there was indeed the plot that Shao Junling mentioned, although it was slightly different from the script. Moreover, Cao Pi in the script was even more cold-blooded and ruthless, making Yin Chang's heart ache.

In addition to the script, Yin Chang also took the opportunity to learn more about the history of the Three Kingdoms. Recently, Lu Lingjuan accompanied him on their filming schedule and saw Yin Chang reading materials and commenting in the nanny car every day.

"What's wrong with Cao Pi? It's true that Cao Zhi had a secret crush on Zhen Mi, but Zhen Mi was innocent..."

"Cao Cao was a bit biased, but there was nothing he could do. Cao Zhi was more like him..."

"Cao Zhi didn't treat his brother badly, but why did Cao Pi always take it out on him..."

"What? Cao Pi also framed him when he was drunk? Why is he so petty!"

One time, Yin Chang saw something in the plot, and was devastated. He asked Lu Lingjuan weakly, "Lingjuan, can I switch roles in this script?"

"Huh?" Lu Lingjuan was taken aback. "You want to switch? But we've already signed the contract with the production team!"

Yin Chang stared blankly ahead. Shao Junling was right. He might not be able to play Cao Pi...

But how did Shao Junling understand him so well?

Lu Lingjuan comforted him by saying, "Why do you want to switch? Do you think it's not suitable for you? When we signed the contract with the production team, the director said he really liked you, and initially wanted you to play Cao Pi."

"That's just a polite thing to say," Yin Chang smiled wryly. "Every director who wants to work with me says that, but whether or not I can play this role well, I know better than anyone..."

"Is it because you're feeling too much pressure? Many people have been praising your acting skills recently," Lu Lingjuan paused and suddenly remembered something. She rummaged through her bag and said, "Oh, by the way, Chairman Yao gave me a movie. He said your father directed it, and it's also about the Three Kingdoms. He asked you to take a look when you have time."

"My dad directed a Three Kingdoms movie?" Yin Chang didn't remember.

"It seems to be from fifteen years ago. For some special reasons, it didn't pass the review and couldn't be released, so few people know about it." Lu Lingjuan took out a video tape and handed it to him.

Yin Chang was curious. "When was this movie made?"

"About fifteen years ago. Chairman Yao said they couldn't find the digital format, so this is the only copy." 

That night, after dinner, Yin Chang wanted to watch the movie Lu Lingjuan gave him. The video tape required a special machine, but because of his father's profession, their home had various playback devices, so Yin Chang found a projector under the TV and tried to play it. However, he struggled for a long time but couldn't get the machine to start.

"What are you doing, Brother?" Shao Junling's voice came from behind.

"Why won't this thing start?" Yin Chang muttered to himself.

"I'll take a look." Shao Junling crouched down and tried the plug, moving the machine slightly while telling Yin Chang, "Go to my study and take the black box from the bottom of the bookshelf."

Yin Chang went to the study and found the box as Shao Junling had instructed, "What's this? It's heavy."

"Some basic tools for building robots." Shao Junling explained casually, opened the box, and took out the largest screwdriver... He skillfully disassembled the machine.

Yin Chang watched him in amazement.

Looking at the side of Shao Junling's face, Yin Chang inexplicably overlapped him with the childish face from six years ago, equally focused and serious, but at that time, Shao Junling was playing with Lego...

"It should be that the circuit board is broken." Shao Junling found the root of the problem and said, "If you're not in a hurry, I'll take it to the school workshop to fix it tomorrow."

"...Okay." Yin Chang originally wanted to buy a new one online, but seeing how "capable" Shao Junling was, he was also looking forward to what he could do.

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🍁 Translator’s Note:

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The Perfect Relationship Ch 94

   🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 94 Watching the Video Tape

The next day, Shao Junling took the dismantled parts back to school for repair. He tried reinstalling the program and at night and indeed, the machine was able to turn on.

Yin Chang couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, that's amazing."

Shao Junling pulled out the plug and reassembled the cover, "Most of the time, if an electrical device can't be turned on, it's because of this issue. If it's another problem, I may not know."

Anyway, after this ordeal, the VHS tape was finally viewable.

"What are you watching?" Shao Junling asked.

"My dad's movie, I was told it's also about the Three Kingdoms period," Yin Chang put the VHS tape back in, "Do you want to watch it together?"

Shao Junling didn't respond but sat down on the couch as an answer. However, he had to study in the evening so they could only watch for a while.

The screen slowly lit up, showing a continuous palace landscape. The camera zoomed in on the court, where officials bowed their heads and Yin Dong appeared on the throne.

Yin Chang was a little stunned, because the Yin Dong on the screen was quite young.

He calculated in his mind that if this was a movie from fifteen years ago, he was only nine years old then, and Yin Dong was only thirty-one years old.

One benefit of having a father who was an actor was that he left plenty of footage at every age for future generations to remember him by.

But Yin Chang rarely watched Yin Dong's movies because he always felt that the him in the movies didn't actually feel like him. Later, when he became an actor himself, he watched all the movies Yin Dong had acted in from start to finish to observe and learn. But after watching them all, he felt inferior and uncomfortable, so he didn't watch too much.

After a while, Yin Chang realized who Yin Dong was playing and suddenly laughed - it was actually Emperor Wei Mingdi Cao Rui.

Shao Junling also exclaimed, and glanced at Yin Chang. He seemed to think it was quite interesting.

Fifteen years ago, Yin Dong played Cao Rui, and Yin Chang was now going to play Cao Rui's father Cao Pi...

Actually, it's hard to say who Cao Rui's father really was.

Recently, Yin Chang had asked Lu Lingjuan to collect some reading materials from the Three Kingdoms period, including official and unofficial records. One article talked about Emperor Wei Mingdi Cao Rui.

The article said that Lady Zhen originally married Yuan Shao's son Yuan Xi, but later when Ye City fell, Lady Zhen was captured by Cao Cao. Both Cao Pi and Cao Zhi admired her beauty, but Cao Pi married her in the end. However, the dates in historical records showed that Cao Rui was born in the ninth year of Jian'an and Ye City fell in the ninth year of Jian'an. Some people speculated that Lady Zhen was already pregnant with Cao Rui before marrying Cao Pi.

Of course, some historians believed that there was an error in the historical records, otherwise how could Cao Pi let Cao Rui succeed him.

According to some unofficial records, Cao Pi and Cao Zhi were obsessed with Lady Zhen for years. Although Lady Zhen married Cao Pi in the end, Cao Zhi remained infatuated with her. The poem "Luoshen Fu" was written by Cao Zhi for Lady Zhen. Therefore, Cao Pi also had a suspicion that his wife was cheating on him with his younger brother...

Yin Chang picked out some interesting tid bits to tell Shao Junling. After listening, Shao Junling asked, "Have you been reading materials recently?"

"Of course..." Yin Chang raised his arm. He didn't want to be seen as illiterate like when Shao Junling showed him up with the "Seven Step Poem" last time.

Shao Junling smiled and turned his attention back to the screen. He only intended to watch a little bit, but then he realized that he wouldn't have many opportunities to sit and watch movies with his brother like this once he went abroad. So, he decided to accompany him a while longer.

They watched for almost half an hour. Yin Chang vaguely understood that the movie was about the things Cao Rui did to strengthen his imperial power after he ascended to the throne. But maybe because of the protagonist's mysterious background and his repressed upbringing, the Cao Rui played by Yin Dong had a...psychological abnormality.

Yin Chang had read about it in the materials, such as Cao Pi having Lady Zhen executed when Cao Rui was a child, and then raising him under the care of the man who killed his mother. This kind of psychological shadow could drive someone insane even now.

To portray Cao Rui's extravagance, the movie showed him having many concubines in the imperial harem, and even flirting with eunuchs and attendants.

The male attendant played a delicate and beautiful role, deeply loved by Cao Rui. They were so intimate that they slept together...

Yin Chang initially watched with a learning and research-minded attitude and didn't pay much attention, knowing what kind of person Cao Rui was. He thought the movie would only lightly touch on it and wouldn't go too far.

But just then, the scene in front of his eyes caught him off guard - "Cao Rui" suddenly hugged the male attendant and began to roll around...through the curtain, the movements of them undressing were vaguely visible...

Yin Chang: "..."

Shao Junling: "..."

Even though the scene was less than half a minute long, Yin Chang felt like it had lasted an hour.

The TV still occasionally emitted the low laughter of the two men, but the atmosphere outside the TV was frighteningly awkward.

Yin Chang covered his mouth with his fist and was about to say something to ease the tension, but Shao Junling stood up directly, "I'm going to do my homework."

Yin Chang: "..."

After Shao Junling left, Yin Chang continued to suffer alone and watch the movie.

Because Cao Rui was naturally suspicious, he listened to the slander of the small-minded and suspected the attendant of betraying him, so he later banished him out of the palace. The attendant lived his life without seeing Cao Rui again and eventually died after throwing himself into the river. Meanwhile, Cao Rui also spent his energy in the imperial harem and died young.

After watching the movie, Yin Chang understood why it failed to pass the review. Although it focused on the story of Cao Rui after he came to power, the love story revolved around him and the male attendant. In other words, it was a homosexual movie, and both the career and emotional lines were interwoven, so it was impossible to cut either one out.

The movie was really good, maybe because Yin Dong acted too well. In the end, Yin Chang was so into the story that he felt melancholic about the outcome for Cao Rui and his companion.

He wiped his face, sat alone for a while to calm down, and then went back to his room.

Shao Junling was studying quietly in the study room, and Yin Chang didn't bother him. He took a shower and lay in bed to continue studying the script. But as soon as he picked up the material, all he could think about was the image of Yin Dong rolling around in bed with another man...

He thought of Shao Junling's reaction earlier and suddenly felt a sense of guilt as if he had brought his underage brother to watch an inappropriate film.

Yin Chang put down the script and looked at Shao Junling's increasingly handsome profile in the study, reminiscing about when Shao Junling was in junior high two years ago.

Back then, they used to sleep under one blanket. One morning, Yin Chang woke up feeling his leg was wet and immediately remembered the octopus-like behavior of his little brother during the night. Shao Junling also woke up, and for a moment, there was confusion on his face. But it quickly turned into an expression as if he had been struck by lightning.

Yin Chang burst out laughing and teased him about who he had dreamt of last night. Shao Junling was so angry and embarrassed that he had covered his head with a blanket and stalked off to take a shower.

For the next month, Shao Junling refused to sleep with him. He looked uncomfortable and ashamed in front of Yin Chang as if he had committed some terrible crime. Eventually, Yin Chang couldn't stand it and tried to console him, explaining that it was normal. Only then did Shao Junling give him a chance to look at him.

A month later, Shao Junling returned to sleeping with him, but he brought his own blanket with him. Yin Chang didn't bother and found his little brother's awkward, shy, and proud reactions to growing up very amusing.

At the time, Yin Chang had even hoped that Shao Junling would come to him for advice if he ever had questions about puberty, after all, he'd gone through it himself. 

However after the incident, Shao Junling never showed any signs of losing control and became increasingly distant. Yin Chang wondered if he was curious about puberty or how he dealt with his urges.

However, that boy was either studying or practicing martial arts every day, probably too busy to think about such matters. Yin Chang was really impressed by how self-disciplined such a young child could be...

As Yin Chang pondered, he drifted off to sleep. He had no idea when Shao Junling climbed into bed with him in the middle of the night.

The next morning, Shao Junling didn't mention the film from the prior night, to Yin Chang's relief. He comforted himself and pretended as if nothing had happened.

During the day, Yin Chang met with Lu Lingjuan and couldn't help but vent to her, "Why didn't you tell me what that movie was?"

If he had known, he wouldn't have watched it with Shao Junling... It was a sin. His brother was still a child!

"What movie?" Lu Lingjuan asked.

"That video tape Manager Yao gave us," Yin Chang rolled his eyes. "Did you watch it?"

"I'm so busy, no time to watch movies," Lu Lingjuan replied sadly. "What's wrong with the film?"

"For an 'art' film, it was okay, I just hope Shao Junling doesn't think too much about it."

Lu Lingjuan asked, "What about the role-switching?"

"Just let me play Cao Pi, no need to switch anymore," Yin Chang said.

After watching Yin Dong in that movie, Yin Chang had done a lot of self-reflection. Yin Dong's character was completely different from Cao Rui, but he still played the decisive emperor in the palace with such an emotional depth, leaving Yin Chang in awe.

In fact, Yin Dong had played many distinct characters throughout his career. In comparison, Yin Chang always avoided roles he disliked and couldn't be considered a good actor.

"Let's turn this into a new challenge," Yin Chang said.

Yin Chang only found out in March that Shao Junling was preparing to go abroad. When he came home that day, he saw two TOEFL exam books on Shao Junling's desk and asked with a smile, "Have you made up your mind?"

Shao Junling glanced at him and said indifferently, "I'll decide after the exam."

Yin Chang was speechless... Did the boy think admitting that he wanted to study abroad would kill him?

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🍁 Author’s Note: Yin Dong: Want your dad to enlighten you? Is it exciting?

🍁 Translator’s Note:

💕 Chapter #4 sponsored by Yaara. Hehe YC's dad playing wingman. 💕

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The Perfect Relationship Ch 91

   🍁 The Perfect Relationship 🍁 by Xi He Qing Ling

Chapter 91 Say It and Do It

Eventually, Shao Junling chose the comprehensive class, which was a class designed for domestic college entrance examinations. Students who hadn't decided their future development direction yet generally also remained in the comprehensive class.

At first, Yin Chang wasn't in a hurry, thinking that Shao Junling had just entered high school, and it wouldn't be too late to consider the issue two years later, but unexpectedly, another year passed in the blink of an eye.

In the evening, Yin Chang had a night shoot and returned home quite late. When he entered the bedroom, he saw that the desk lamp in the study was still on. He walked over and took a peek but didn't see Shao Junling's figure. Only the sound of water faintly came from the bathroom.

Shao Junling's laptop, which he had only just replaced after starting high school, was placed on the desk with its display screen on.

Yin Chang didn't intend to look, he just happened to glance over and saw several overlapping windows on the bright screen. The top two, one was the official website of L University, and the other was...

An offer from L University?

Looking closer, the beginning of the recipient's address turned out to be Shao Junling's.

Yin Chang was shocked...Shao Junling was only in his second year of high school, how could he have received an offer from L University?

After reading a few more lines, Yin Chang found that it was a conditional offer. The two conditions mentioned below were that Shao Junling had to take the TOEFL exam, and provide all his transcripts before high school, with certain requirements for scores and GPAs.

Oh, Teacher He had told him on the phone during the day that Shao Junling's participation in some robotics competition had attracted the attention of two prestigious universities. Could this so-called "attention" be acceptance letters?

Yin Chang's mind was in chaos. He heard the sound of the water shut off. He retreated to the bedroom.

After a while, the bathroom door opened. Shao Junling saw Yin Chang and slightly paused, "Brother, you’re back."

Yin Chang calmly asked, "Hmm, taking a shower?"

After a few years of acting, Yin Chang's skills had improved. He acted as if he hadn't seen anything, but the corner of his eyes followed Shao Junling's movements.

While still wrapped in a bath towel, he casually walked to his desk, closed the computer and turned off the desk lamp. After that, he walked back while wiping his body, picked out a clean T-shirt, and went to the bathroom to change his clothes.

If Yin Chang hadn't just seen that acceptance letter, he wouldn't have paid attention to these details at all.

However, the order of Shao Junling's actions was obviously problematic. Why did he turn off the computer before changing clothes? Couldn't he have finished changing clothes before turning it off? What was he trying to hide?

By the time Yin Chang finished washing, Shao Junling was already in bed, seemingly chatting with someone on his phone.

Maybe it was because of Teacher He's phone call earlier that day, or maybe it was because he had accidentally seen that acceptance letter, but Yin Chang was particularly attentive to Shao Junling's state.

Seeing Shao Junling lying on the pillow with long arms and legs, Yin Chang felt strange. It felt like only yesterday, that kid could still fit in his embrace. Now he could occupy half of the bed alone...

Yin Chang opened the quilt and laid inside, and casually asked Shao Junling, "I heard that you got first place in that F-something robotics competition?"

"FRC," Shao Junling completed the abbreviation that Yin Chang had forgotten, and put down his mobile phone, "How did you know?" He paused, "Did Teacher He tell you?"

Yin Chang set up the pillow and half leaned against it, intending to have a good chat with Shao Junling.

"He seemed quite happy for you," Yin Chang recalled Teacher He's implied expectation and couldn't help but ask, "What's FRC? Is it impressive?"

"It's okay." Shao Junling's tone sounded very calm, as if he didn't regard this award as a special honor at all.

Seeing Yin Chang's curiosity, Shao Junling explained a few words offhand. However, there were too many technical terms, such as circuit control, robot programming, and Yin Chang didn’t understand them very well. Later, his attention shifted to Shao Junling's voice and demeanor when he spoke.

Shao Junling's voice changed when he was thirteen or fourteen years old. His voice was much deeper now, with a slightly hoarse echo, but still had a kind of freshness of adolescence, magnetic, and pleasing to the ear.

Although this guy was still usually quiet, whenever he tried to convey something, he was methodical and logical, completely different from the anxious and stuttering child he had been before. Especially when it came to his areas of expertise, Shao Junling radiated a faint self-confidence.

Watching him talk with a sense of mastery, Yin Chang was proud.

Just then, Shao Junling suddenly stopped.

Seeing Yin Chang's distraction, he bluntly asked, "Do you not understand?"

Yin Chang: "..." How come this brat talked like this? Was his comprehension ability really that bad? He just wasn't interested in things like AI and robots…

Shao Junling helplessly said, "Forget it, just understand it as a robotics sports meet. Although the robots are involved in the competition, it is actually the intelligence of the designers that's being compared."

"Then it's pretty impressive that you got first place," Yin Chang said. Just now, he heard that this competition was open to high school and college students worldwide. Shao Junling was only in his second year of high school.

Shao Junling looked at him and asked, "What did Teacher He tell you?" His ability to grasp the main point was becoming more and more powerful.

Yin Chang didn't mention the acceptance letter he saw and simply said, "He said you are the core member of your team. Because of this competition, foreign universities have paid attention to you, and he asked if I considered letting you study abroad."

"Oh," Shao Junling said indifferently, "Teacher He is exaggerating. This is the team's honor, everyone contributed, and there wasn't just me in the core programming group, there was also my classmate."

Yin Chang smiled. Unexpectedly, this kid was quite modest. "So, are you considering going abroad?" he asked.

Shao Junling looked at Yin Chang, was silent for two seconds before saying, "No."

Yin Chang: "..."

No? So, that's why he didn't tell him about the acceptance letter?

...but compared to last year, Shao Junling hesitated for two seconds this time, which meant he "thought" about it for two seconds.

Yin Chang was deeply concerned about these details, but Shao Junling seemed to not want to talk about this topic anymore.

He shrunk into his bed to prepare for sleep, but Yin Chang grabbed him, "Why don't you want to go abroad? Mr. He said that research in this field is much better overseas than in China."

"Not by much," Shao Junling explained as he opened his eyes. "There is a gap, I know, but there are also several excellent universities in China, such as Tsinghua and Huazhong University of Science and Technology..."

Yin Chang interrupted him, "Do you want to apply for Tsinghua?"

"I don't know if I can, but I'll give it a try," Shao Junling replied.

Yin Chang thought about it and said, "Universities in China aren't as private as De International. If you study in China, you may encounter some troubles..."

Shao Junling looked at him, "Because of you?"

Yin Chang was very popular in the entertainment industry. From his debut until now, which had been six years, his popularity never declined. In the past two years, he was controversial for various reasons such as his strength and background. However, with the accumulation of works, his career became more and more stable.

However, because of his fame, Yin Chang always worried that he would bring trouble to Shao Junling. Coupled with Shao Junling's sensitive background, he still required a chauffeur to pick him up and drop him off, even when he went out.

Shao Junling guessed Yin Chang's concerns and smiled at him, "Brother, what are you worrying about? Do you think Tsinghua is a special place? Many celebrities have gone there to study, and most of them are at the level of Langzhi, their parents, Olympic champions, and Go prodigies... Compared to them, what am I?"

Yin Chang was stunned by Shao Junling's smile. Since his younger brother with a poker face rarely smiled, Yin Chang became dazed whenever he saw him smile. It was a strange psychological reaction he never told anyone about.

Shao Junling said again, "Moreover, I have not appeared in front of an audience for five years now, so there are not many people paying attention to me. Don't think too much of yourself. Many classmates in our robotics design group come from families that engage in scientific research. They don't follow celebrities, and don't even know who you are."

Shao Junling glanced at Yin Chang, who was still dazed, and said, "Okay, let's sleep."

A few minutes later, Yin Chang finally reacted to Shao Junling's sarcastic words just now and was so angry that he almost wanted to lift the covers and beat him. But looking at his brother who had already closed his eyes again, he had to hold back his anger.

He laid there for a while. The fact that "Shao Junling planned to stay in China" occupied his mind, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

Tsinghua... was quite good.

Although they were not in the same city, he often flew to the capital, so they should still be able to meet up frequently.

However, Yin Chang's joy did not last long, as something happened that completely changed his thinking about Shao Junling going abroad.

About a month after that night talk, Shao Junling had his winter vacation.

That afternoon, Yin Chang was supposed to attend the opening ceremony of a cooperation partner, but the venue had some problems and was suddenly canceled, so Yin Chang had no other plans and went home to rest early.

After he went upstairs, when the elevator door opened, Yin Chang heard a vague conversation in the living room. One of the voices belongs to Shao Junling, and the other sounded unfamiliar.

...there were guests at home?

From the content of their conversation, it seemed to be Shao Junling's classmate.

However, they hadn't noticed Yin Chang come back and were talking fiercely.

Yin Chang quietly changed his shoes and was about to pass through the entrance hall and greet them when he suddenly heard the stranger's voice rise, "Don't you want to go abroad with me?"

Shao Junling replied with a "Nope."

The person asked again, "Why not? Don't use Tsinghua as an excuse to avoid the topic. L University is the Holy Land of AI learning, which all of us interested in AI dream of. You know that only you and I have received the offer this time; it's a rare opportunity. Are you really going to give it up like this?"

Yin Chang stopped in his tracks and his expression slowly became serious.

"Family occupational reasons? Sensitive identity and can't leave? No way, your brother is a star, not like Mao Zi'ang's parents... Or is it that your brother won't let you go?"

The stranger made wild guesses, and Shao Junling immediately said, "No."

"Then why? You must give me an answer today."

After a few seconds of silence, there was Shao Junling's insipid voice in the living room. "I promised my brother that I would always be with him, so I can't go abroad."

Yin Chang stood in the entrance hall, completely dumbfounded.

"Damn... how old is your brother?! Why do you have to accompany him?" 

"... "At this moment, the stranger's roar expressed Yin Chang's thoughts.

They talked about something else later, but Yin Chang didn't listen carefully. At this moment, what flashed through his mind was the message that Shao Junling wrote for him five years ago when they participated in that parent-child variety show.

To be honest, Yin Chang never took the promise of an eleven-year-old child seriously. Because people grew up and he also considered that Shao Junling would eventually have his own thoughts, pursuits, and life.

At that time, Yin Chang had just joked, "Then you have to keep your promise"... He never thought that Shao Junling really took it to heart, until now. 

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

🍁 Author’s Note: FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition) robotics challenge is an industrial-level robot competition for high school and college students. Hosted by the American non-profit organization FIRST, it's recognized by hundreds of universities worldwide. Team members can apply for a total of about 30 million US dollars in scholarships every year, such as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Columbia University. Teams that rank first in the competition can even directly get the conditional offer for artificial intelligence majors from famous universities. The top 3 AI majors in the United States are said to be the University of Tennessee, the University of Washington, and Stanford University. "L University" is just a nickname. Let's just understand it as top 3 because Shao Junling is very smart ^^

🍁 Translator’s Note:

💕 Chapter #1 sponsored by Yaara. Thank you so much for your support again! 💕

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