Chapter 354: The Thirty-third Day in the Entertainment World

Chapter 354: Day 33 in the Entertainment World

Deng Yingrui felt the same way.

He was now An Yi's exclusive manager, errand boy, and personal assistant all in one. Every time he saw An Yi, he behaved like a mouse seeing a cat.

When he heard that An Yi's work was receiving high praise, he could only nod numbly, thinking to himself: As long as the devil is happy, that's what matters. Putting out an album beats him getting bored and deciding to mess with them for fun.

He even felt that An Yi pursuing music was a huge mercy and a blessing for all his "former wrongdoers"!

----------

In Yu Ziyun's eyes, An Yi's focused look when creating music was especially captivating.

No! An Yi was captivating in everything he did.

After the two confirmed their relationship, they didn't deliberately hide it.

It's just that Yu Ziyun was super clingy. Whenever he wasn't busy with work, he'd find ways to show up by An Yi's side.

Little by little, more and more traces of Yu Ziyun started showing up in An Yi's place.

One weekend afternoon, An Yi was curled up on the living room carpet, a half-finished musical score spread out in front of him, his fingers unconsciously tapping out a rhythm on his knees.

A guitar sat at an angle next to him.

Yu Ziyun walked out of the study and saw the sight.

Sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains, washing over An Yi's focused profile.

Yu Ziyun walked over quietly, sat down behind him, and wrapped his arms around An Yi's waist from behind, resting his chin on An Yi's slim shoulder, his gaze landing on the complex musical notes.

Then he looked away and pressed a kiss to An Yi's cheek.

An Yi reached back and touched his face, humming softly. Yu Ziyun held him and gently swayed to the rhythm.

"Does it sound good?"

"Absolutely wonderful!" Yu Ziyun extended a finger and pointed at one of the measures: "It's... it's so open, like running through an empty wilderness, surrounded by bleak scenery, but hope shines through."

He couldn't write songs, but he could always hear An Yi's feelings in his music.

It was like... like he was missing something.

He lowered his head, burying his face in An Yi's neck.

My dear, what are you missing?

An Yi tilted his head slightly, his cheek almost brushing Yu Ziyun's nose.

He thought for a moment, then picked up a pencil and made a mark where Yu Ziyun had pointed: "Really? There is a glimmer of hope, indeed."

He reached up and ruffled Yu Ziyun's hair. "Great interpretation!"

Yu Ziyun pressed his advantage, leaning in close to his ear, his breath warm: "What about a reward, Teacher An?"

An Yi kept writing, replying casually: "What reward do you want? Want me to buy you something?"

"Not that." Yu Ziyun's arms tightened a little, his lips almost touching An Yi's earlobe, his voice dropping with obvious implication: "I want a different reward."

An Yi finally put down his pen, turned, and looked at Yu Ziyun up close with those clear eyes of his.

He could see his own reflection in the other man's eyes, along with the undisguised desire.

He suddenly reached out and gently pinched Yu Ziyun's straight nose, a natural, affectionate gesture: "Hmph! Greedy."

Yu Ziyun caught his mischievous hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it, his gaze deep: "So what are we going to do about it?"

With that, he kissed An Yi without another word, swallowing the rest of his sentence.

The sunlight was warm, the musical score temporarily forgotten on the carpet, and the air filled with soft kissing sounds and mingled breaths.

----------

When An Yi and Yu Ziyun were together, they were occasionally snapped by lurking paparazzi and spotted by passersby.

Like the two of them walking side by side out of a supermarket, Yu Ziyun holding a shopping bag in one hand and naturally holding An Yi's hand with the other.

Or being photographed in a parking lot, Yu Ziyun opening the car door for An Yi, his hand guarding the top of the door frame, then, after An Yi got in, leaning down—presumably to kiss him.

The photos and videos spread online. At first, some questioned whether it was just for publicity, but over time, those natural interactions, the look in Yu Ziyun's eyes when he looked at An Yi that he just couldn't hide... all of it made more and more people believe—

They were actually really dating! For real, with genuine feelings!

"Damn! The dating show was actually real! My ship sailed from the show into real life!"

"Lawyer Yu's gaze... it's practically dripping with affection! An Yi is this sweet when he's in love? Nothing like his aloof attitude on the show, where he didn't seem to care about anything!"

"Big bro seems more relaxed around Lawyer Yu, kind of adorable."

"I'll take this dog food!"

"They're actually a real gay couple... a rare sight in the Chinese entertainment world."

"Wishing them well. They look good together, even if it still feels a bit surreal."

Of course, controversy never really went away, but An Yi and Yu Ziyun both seemed totally unfazed by it, continuing to live, work, and date at their own pace.

Finally, An Yi's first solo mini album, "Ruins of Light," was officially released after careful preparation.

The album cover featured a silhouette of An Yi, standing in a hazy glow that seemed like both dawn and dusk, with abstract, broken architectural silhouettes behind him.

The overall color palette was dark and gray, yet a beam of light cut through the dust, landing on him. The style was extremely distinctive.

On release day, it sparked massive discussion and received widespread acclaim.

Sales kept climbing higher and higher!

Some praised its unique musicality, profound imagery, and An Yi's storytelling voice, calling it "the most artistically distinctive breakthrough of the year."

Of course, some found it obscure and hard to understand—the melodies were catchy, but a bit disconnected from the mainstream.

Still... it was good to listen to.

The online buzz picked up again.

"Damn! An Yi, oh An Yi! This man is not only easy on the eyes, with a mouth-watering voice, but also incredibly talented! I love him! The only downside is that he's gay!"

"So what if he's gay? I don't care! I love listening to his music! Back when he was all over that dating show, I actually kind of disliked him—on the hot search every day, so annoying. But then he released his song, and I did a complete 180! From now on, I'm his die-hard fan!"

"Talent is the real passport!"

"Not bad! He wasn't just doing it for publicity on the dating show—he was genuinely dating, not hiding it at all. Way better than those who try to hide everything!"

"I bought twenty copies of the album! Oppa is amazing! Writing lyrics, composing, and singing all by himself? Freaking awesome!"

"Honestly, it's been ages since I've heard songs with this much soul. How do I put it? There's something almost divine about it. Top-tier stuff!"

"I never expected it. Back when An Yi introduced himself as a singer on the dating show, I thought, 'Who's this random nobody?' But man, was I wrong—keep slapping me! I love it!"

"AHHHHHHHHHH! I'm obsessed with 'Green Moss'! The first half is cold and damp, but the second half feels like flames blazing up—so intense! I got a sense of hope from it!"

"Agreed!"

"I'm more into 'The Depths'! It gets me fired up! Bleak yet grand! It has this unstoppable, forward-charging vibe!"

"I love them all! Every single track is a banger! Holy crap, every single one! I'm crazy about this man!"

"AHHHHHHHHHH! Go check out that edit! It's genius! It feels like a sweeping epic of time that honors the human spirit! [Link]"

"..."