Chà Chà Novel

Su Nuo found the way Yu Ning and Wei Sinian were acting strange, but not strange enough to think they’d been reborn too or had their souls swapped. After all, his own attitude had changed first, and that was what set everything else in motion.

Counting both lifetimes, Yu Ning was decades older than Su Nuo. If he wanted to hide something, Su Nuo wouldn’t be able to see it. And Su Nuo wasn’t a schemer by nature. He’d been too well protected, which was exactly why, when he suddenly found himself alone with no one to help him, Su Yujin was able to crush him so completely.

Su Nuo had always had a young man’s heart. Even after being dragged through the ugly side of reality, he hadn’t lost his determination or his principles.

Wei Sinian had a natural fondness for Su Nuo. Maybe it was a memory carved into his soul. Even though he didn’t remember yet, he couldn’t help trying to make up for something.

Who doesn’t have regrets? But they had lost that boy forever, with no way to undo it.

The days filming on the same set as Wei Sinian flew by. Su Nuo never denied how brilliant Wei Sinian’s acting was. Since he was enjoying the work, he was a little friendlier toward Wei Sinian too.

Wei Sinian was practically flattered, so much so that his whole team started treating Su Nuo like royalty.

Better not cross him. Their Best Actor was already completely under his spell.

During a break in filming, Wei Sinian’s fan club came to visit the set with a fan support event, and Su Nuo got to see firsthand what a Best Actor’s clout looked like.

A coffee truck, a flower wall, desserts, handheld banners… plus gift bags for the crew and special gifts and meals for the main cast.

Big fan support events like this were always arranged in advance with the company and the production. The director agreed to let them in, since it would all be good publicity later. No matter how high-minded a director was, he still had to make a living, and the Best Actor’s buzz was too good to pass up.

Wei Sinian’s relationship with his fans was admired across the industry, because he never indulged so-called crazy fans or solo stans. He’d said publicly that he just wanted fans to like his work and didn’t need them to do anything else for him.

That attitude cost him a huge chunk of his fanbase at first. But the ones who stayed over the years were rational fans with time and money to spare who never caused trouble, and they even took it upon themselves to help guide the younger, newer fans.

After all, every year the Best Actor put out new work was harvest season. Countless people would fall for his new role and become loyal fans.

The ones splurging on this support event were fans who’d loved him for years. They knew he was low-key, but they still wanted to give him some face on set.

They absolutely would not let their Best Actor get pushed around or lose out in some status battle!

Maybe that’s just a fan’s love. Even with Wei Sinian’s status on set, where he talked back to the director himself, they still worried he’d be treated unfairly.

Wei Sinian knew all their faces and could even call them by their Weibo names. Around his fans, he was much more easygoing. After filming, he came over with his assistant to thank them and let them take photos with him.

The fans knew their boundaries. They didn’t crowd around or make a fuss. They handed him their gift and carefully explained, “It’s just dessert and fruit.”

The Best Actor didn’t accept expensive gifts. Food was about the only thing he’d take as a token.

Wei Sinian took it with both hands. “You shouldn’t have. Thank you, everyone.”

The girls’ eyes sparkled. Hearing him thank them up close made them all blush.

As the saying goes, you come for the looks and stay for the character. What first made them fall for him was the Best Actor’s devastatingly handsome face.

Su Nuo also got one of the gifts they handed out. Nothing too expensive, but thoughtful, the kind of gift you could accept without feeling pressured, while still remembering the kindness.

He had to admit, the coffee and milk tea from Wei Sinian’s fans were really good.

He took a big gulp of his iced drink with snow cream foam. It felt amazing in the summer heat.

Sneaking cold drinks behind his brother’s back. What a thrill!

“Nuonuo, go help hand out water,” the director called, purposely giving him a chance to be seen.

Su Nuo didn’t think twice, said okay, and went to help carry water.

Wei Sinian saw him busy nearby, looked at the fancy food box in his hands, and called Su Nuo over.

“This is the little one playing Heng Yu in our production.” Wei Sinian put an arm around his shoulders briefly as he introduced him to the fans.

Su Nuo: “?”

You’re talking to your own fans. Why drag me into it?

“Lychee cake. For you.” Wei Sinian handed over the sweet, adorable-looking cake, then turned to the fans. “Which bakery did you order this from?”

The fan club leader looked dazed. “I… I made it myself.”

“Could you send me the recipe?” Wei Sinian asked politely.

“Yes!” The girl nodded so fast she looked like a pecking chicken.

Oh my god. Something’s up with the Best Actor.

Even the thrill of getting his WeChat couldn’t outweigh the shock. When did he ever make friends with a newcomer on set?!

Not that he was a diva or anything. His circle of friends was just very fixed. He barely interacted with anyone else, and he never even responded to other celebrities praising him on Weibo.

So what was going on now? He’d called someone over to introduce to them, given him a little cake right in front of them, and even looked like he was planning to bake it himself in the future?

Everyone cast slightly jealous looks at the newcomer. Hmm… he really was good-looking. Even standing next to Wei Sinian, he didn’t fade into the background. But he looked so young without makeup. He almost looked underage.

“They gave this to you. I can’t take it…” Su Nuo would never dare. One look at the food box in Wei Sinian’s hands and he could tell it was one of a kind, fancy and elaborate. It was obviously the thing the girls had put the most heart into. What would it look like if he just took the cake out and gave it to Su Nuo? Wouldn’t the fans end up putting him on some anti-hater watch page later?

“It’s fine! Little one, please take good care of our Best Actor on set, okay?” The fan club leader winked at him, her smile full of meaning.

Come on, they weren’t clueless fans.

Look how doting the Best Actor was. When he said “little one,” his eyes were softer than they’d ever seen. This was no ordinary newcomer.

It was kind of addictive.

They came all this way and got to see with their own eyes how good the Best Actor was to this little one.

Playing Heng Yu, right? Big sis will remember you. Following you as soon as I get home!

Luckily, most of Wei Sinian’s fans were career-focused and didn’t care about his love life. Whoever he made friends with, however he did it, they were happy to see it.

The Best Actor’s message was pretty clear: he was letting them know this little one was under his protection.

Thinking about how the production was releasing official stills tonight, the fans realized they had work to do. Besides boosting the Best Actor’s rankings, they’d have to look out for the little one too.

“It’s my senior who’s been looking after me. He’s taught me so much about acting.” Su Nuo gave a small bow of thanks, respectful and polite. “I’ll head back now.”

Seeing the temperature around their Best Actor drop instantly, everyone felt a gleeful kind of sympathy. Hahahahaha, look who finally got a taste of his own medicine!

This little one was interesting! They loved him!

Su Nuo had once been viciously attacked by Wei Sinian’s fans. Since Wei Sinian had made a public statement, they naturally defended him, and they defended Su Yujin, who Wei Sinian cared about. Su Nuo was just a piece of trash whose bad character had been officially confirmed by their Best Actor. He deserved to be blacklisted.

The current harmony could never make Su Nuo think he was out of danger.

Wei Sinian’s fans were very rational, but they were also terrifying.

He didn’t want to get tangled up with Wei Sinian again. Being ordinary coworkers was the best distance for them.

Once this film wrapped, he wasn’t going to take any more roles. He planned to start school quietly, study for a year, and then think about it.

Buzz faded fast. Even if everyone was noticing him now because of Wei Sinian, they’d forget about him soon enough.

Su Nuo hoped to just be himself, not someone always tied to Wei Sinian, called a “leech.”

After turning down Wei Sinian’s cake, Su Nuo slipped away to the lounge, sat for a while, and pulled out his phone to text Fu Baihan.

Fu Baihan didn’t always reply right away. They were both busy, and even at home in the evenings they each worked on their own things. So Su Nuo would often just send him whatever popped into his head. Sometimes he’d send a whole string of messages and wait a long time for a reply.

But Su Nuo never got tired of talking like this, because no matter how early or late, as soon as Fu Baihan saw them, he’d reply to every single message.

“I want lychee cake. Everyone else has fans bringing them stuff. I don’t.”

When Fu Baihan got out of his meeting and opened the message, he filed it all under the kid being cute, and regretted that he hadn’t been able to squish his little brother lately.

Everyone else has it? Then his little brother should too.

That day, besides the Best Actor’s fan support, the production received a luxury meal delivery that evening, courtesy of a certain capitalist.

He’d specifically told the hotel to add lychee cake to the little young master’s portion. Nobody else got any.

The director usually ate boxed lunches with everyone else. When he got the message from the hotel, he got all excited.

“Sinian, do you know how hard it is to get a table at this hotel’s restaurant? And they’re delivering to us! Did President Fu find out your fans came today and set this up for the little young master that fast?”

Who wouldn’t be jealous of a brother like that? The entire production was basking in the sweet scent of money.

Watching the boy eat lychee cake with his assistant, his eyes squinted shut in pure contentment, Wei Sinian felt a pang of jealousy.

He wouldn’t take what Wei Sinian offered, but what Fu Baihan gave him made him this happy.

If Su Nuo knew what he was thinking, he’d definitely ask: well, obviously?

That’s my brother. Who are you?

That day, the production posted the cast list and official stills on Weibo, tagging each actor individually. Su Nuo also opened a new account and started posting.

His agency didn’t really manage him. They usually just let him do whatever made him happy. Fu Baihan had probably told them to let him have fun before school started, and Su Nuo ran his own account.

The company quickly noticed that before they’d even had a chance to promote the little young master, tons of accounts with their own followings were already reposting him. When they clicked through, they were all Wei Sinian’s fans.

What was going on? Were the Best Actor’s fans doing charity work now, sharing the spotlight with every unknown on the set?

“Here for Heng Yu! Go, little one!”

Some of them hadn’t even reposted anything about Wei Sinian yet. They’d reposted Heng Yu’s stills first. Classic baffling fandom behavior.