Chà Chà Novel

Ji Xinghui had always cared more about his appearance than anyone. Even dishevelled, he had a certain allure, but seeing him like this surprised Su Nuo.

“Star-ge, what’s wrong?” Su Nuo peeked at him cautiously.

Seeing Su Nuo, Ji Xinghui badly wanted to hug the little cutie and squish him. He was genuinely starting to envy Fu Baihan.

When it came to being a big brother, he’d lost completely.

Look at other people’s little brothers. So soft and sweet.

Ji Xinghui sighed. “I’m fine.”

You don’t look fine at all… Su Nuo glanced at him, then turned to Fu Baihan with a questioning look.

Fu Baihan openly called the kid over to pinch his cheek. “Don’t mind him. What do you want for lunch?”

Ji Xinghui had been waiting for Su Nuo to comfort him. Brushed aside like that, he protested, “What do you mean, don’t mind me?”

Fu Baihan, you’re heartless! All these years of friendship, and this is it?

But Su Nuo played right along. “It’s so cold. I want hot pot~ Sis Xinxin said a really good new place opened downstairs!”

Su Nuo didn’t understand anything about running the company, but he was fully up to date on the Fu Group building’s latest developments, specifically what tasty food was nearby.

Since no paparazzi could get past the Fu Group’s tight security to snap photos, Su Nuo really liked coming here to see Fu Baihan. He could relax.

After filming Back to the Roots, his life had returned to bouncing between school and the apartment. Ordinary but fulfilling. He’d almost forgotten he was a little celebrity in show business. Clearly, he still wasn’t famous enough.

His manager’s response: Kiddo, it’s not that you’re not famous enough. It’s that you’re too willful. You won’t take roles, you won’t do interviews. If it weren’t for the steady buzz and He Yun about to premiere, you’d be a has-been already.

“Star-ge, did you sprain your ankle?” The three of them went for hot pot together. Su Nuo fell a few steps behind to buy bubble tea, and on the way back he noticed from behind that Ji Xinghui was walking a bit oddly.

Ji Xinghui lowered his head and coughed. “Yeah… Nuonuo, come help me walk.”

Fu Baihan put an arm around Su Nuo’s shoulders and said to Ji Xinghui, “Help you? How about a wheelchair instead?”

Hit on my kid again and I’ll break your legs.

Ji Xinghui was wailing inside. He was so pitiful. What was he getting out of watching these two lovebirds show off at a time like this?

And he couldn’t bring himself to complain to anyone, so he just had to put up with it.

Coming to see Fu Baihan, teasing little Nuonuo, and bickering a bit let him temporarily forget his fury at being played. He felt much better.

The only people he could trust were Fu Baihan and Su Nuo.

“Ge, my movie comes out next week.” While they waited for the broth to boil, Su Nuo looked at Fu Baihan expectantly.

Fu Baihan set the dipping sauce in front of him. “I’m free next week.”

Su Nuo was satisfied. For all sorts of reasons, he was very confident about He Yun’s box office, and this was even his second time playing the role. But when it came time for the film to face audiences, Su Nuo was still nervous, and he wanted to share the moment with Fu Baihan.

When I’m a best actor someday, this film will be the starting milestone. How meaningful is that!

“Star-ge, you’ll buy out a screening, right?” Su Nuo smiled at Ji Xinghui.

“Sure. However many Baihan books, I’ll double it.” Ji Xinghui raised his chin. “Nuonuo, who’s your best big brother?”

“Obviously I’m closest to Ge.” Su Nuo nudged Fu Baihan with his elbow. “Right, Ge?”

“Double?” Fu Baihan stated the facts. “He doesn’t have that much money.”

Ji Xinghui quickly realized he’d come to the wrong people to vent. These two, wrapped up in their flirting, had no attention to spare for him. Sitting there, he was brighter than the ceiling light, a total third wheel.

Sorrow welled up. Young Master Ji, still so young, felt his life had turned gray.

Especially when he didn’t get the last slice of meat.

Think you’re so great just because you’re in love?!

Fu Baihan had to take his little treasure home, and Ji Xinghui had no intention of continuing this three-person arrangement. He was even too traumatized to look for a lover now. He’d probably be living like a monk for quite a while.

Ji Xinghai hadn’t stayed at his place, and Ji Xinghui breathed a sigh of relief when he got home. He didn’t want to see Ji Xinghai. After all, Fu Baihan had said there was no way to get rid of the guy for now.

Out of sight, out of mind. Ji Xinghui decided to let him live a little longer.

Before He Yun premiered, Su Nuo’s press schedule picked up. It was all promotion with the cast, and his CP buzz with Wei Sinian exploded again and again with every shared frame and interaction.

But Su Nuo had no time to pay attention to Wei Sinian, because his brother had been with him these past few days, a fixture in the front row of the audience.

Speaking of which, didn’t he actually need to go to work?!

“Ge, don’t tell me you’ve lost your job.” Su Nuo asked, puzzled. Could a CEO really have this much free time?

“If I lost my job, would Sweetie support me?” Fu Baihan smiled, in a good mood, teasing the kid.

Su Nuo quickly reached out and stroked his face. “Since you’re this handsome, I’ll support you.”

And so, in the end, Fu Baihan earned the kid’s care with his looks and sent him tens of thousands of yuan in “pocket money.”

Su Nuo was happy that Fu Baihan had time to spend with him. He vaguely guessed that Fu Mingyuan was helping with the workload, so whenever he went back to the old house, he brought extra gifts for his hardworking uncle.

On the cast side, Wei Sinian enjoyed working alongside Su Nuo, even with Fu Baihan watching like a tiger from below. Wei Sinian wished he could keep working with Su Nuo, but for the sake of Su Nuo’s career, he had to keep his distance.

If Su Nuo’s next project was with him again, audiences would inevitably see it as a packaged CP and doubt Su Nuo’s ability. Otherwise, why couldn’t he land a film on his own? It would also cause endless conflict between fans.

Being a popular CP with Su Nuo was both sweet and painful for Wei Sinian.

It was a dream woven by fans. The audience fell for it. The actors didn’t take it seriously.

His relationship with Su Nuo hadn’t gotten any better. There was always a barrier between them. Wei Sinian keenly sensed the coldness beneath Su Nuo’s smile. Along with the hurt, he was baffled.

What exactly had he done wrong to make Su Nuo dislike him?

Even in the past life, Su Nuo had never been like this. He’d clearly admired him.

…The past life?

Wei Sinian jolted awake. Because of Su Nuo’s attitude, both he and Yu Ning had considered the possibility.

Could Su Nuo have those memories too?

Wei Sinian hoped not. Not only because he selfishly wanted to start over with him, but more importantly because he didn’t want Su Nuo to carry those painful memories and be unhappy.

The boy should be radiant and full of spirit, like the young general in the film, bold and proud.

While Wei Sinian was brooding here, Yu Ning and Chu Boyan weren’t faring any better. Yu Ning was tossing and turning at night over this suspicion, not to mention having seen Su Nuo kiss Fu Baihan with his own eyes. The shock was too great.

Chu Boyan, meanwhile, was being driven up the wall by his family’s push to honor the marriage arrangement. What could be worse than being reborn only to find your wife with someone else? Having to pretend you don’t know and face the person who ruined you both.

Su Nuo: “……” Ugh, shameless. What wife?

Chu Boyan wasn’t really the age he appeared to be anymore. With his past life’s experience inside him, he saw things more maturely. He’d noticed something off about Su Yujin too, but couldn’t put his finger on exactly what.

The Su family truly cared about Su Yujin. Seeing that Su Nuo would never get along with him, they planned to settle Su Yujin properly before sending him off.

They hinted to the Chu family to honor the engagement and have the two marry. Though nearly everyone at the Fu patriarch’s birthday banquet knew Su Nuo was their real son, no one knew how he’d been lost. Su Yujin had been raised by the Su family for so many years that if they said they treated him as their own, no one would think twice.

Su Yujin didn’t want to marry Chu Boyan. Not that he didn’t like Chu Boyan. He was just thinking of everything the system had promised: that he’d be this world’s child of fortune, the darling of everyone, cherished in the palms of several powerful men.

What did he have now? He’d even lost the system.

Whenever he asked, it was “Under maintenance, unable to respond,” which left Su Yujin helpless.

Having transmigrated into the book, he was supposed to be the protagonist. Why was the plot going so badly? He hadn’t become everyone’s beloved darling yet, and all he had left was a useless system.

Everyone’s darling? He didn’t even know where the powerful men were.

Now that the Su family was willing to broker this match for him, Su Yujin was tempted. Chu Boyan wasn’t bad. The situation wasn’t looking good, circumstances were stronger than he was, and when you had to bow your head, you bowed. He could be with Chu Boyan first. As for the rest, once his halo kicked in, Chu Boyan would love him enough to accept everything about him.

The Chu family had given it serious thought. Though they looked down on the Su family’s habit of treating an adopted son better than their biological one, Su Yujin had still been raised by the Su family, was close to them, and could be considered Chu Boyan’s “childhood sweetheart.” If they wanted to get close to the other young master, that would depend on whether the Fu family was willing.

At their level, they couldn’t hope to climb up to the Fu family.

Controlling the Su family was much easier, since in terms of corporate strength, the Su family was no match for them.

Su Yujin deliberately waited until just before Su Nuo’s film premiered to push the web drama he’d starred in. His acting was nowhere near Su Nuo’s, but he had youth and freshness on his side. A few marketing accounts posted about him, several parties fanned the flames, and he made the trending list several times.

Press releases flew everywhere, practically describing him as the hope of a new generation in show business.

As soon as Su Nuo’s film premiered, rave reviews poured in. Su Yujin’s paid trolls mixed in among them, trying to turn audiences against Su Nuo. But everyone who read the marketing accounts’ posts had just one thought: That’s it? You’re saying this Su Yujin outshines Su Nuo? They’re not even in the same league! The gap is way too big. How could he possibly outshine him? Are you blind?!