Chapter 9: Trending Again
Lin Qin sat at the desk, staring blankly ahead. Just thinking about Meng Chao's gaze made Lin Qin feel an uncontrollable heat coursing through him. His heart was still pounding erratically, unable to return to its normal rhythm.
Perhaps it was just the beauty of the night that had misled him about Meng Chao's gaze.
But even if he'd misread it, Lin Qin still believed that the gaze was worth cherishing forever.
He picked up his pen and began writing today's journal. At the end, he sketched a chibi version of Meng Chao and, sneaking around like a thief, drew a silly lovestruck version of himself beside it.
After finishing, Lin Qin foolishly chuckled at his journal.
At the same time, in the neighboring room, Meng Chao was also occupied—having a phone conversation with his brother, Meng Ke, about some work-related matters.
In addition to filming movies, Meng Chao had also invested in several ventures, which had brought him significant returns. Meng Ke noticed this and would casually discuss their family company with Meng Chao, likely intending to groom him for it.
Meng Chao didn't resist much, but he wasn't particularly enthusiastic either.
The two brothers talked for an entire hour. Right before hanging up, Meng Chao suddenly said, "Bro, I think I'm a little moved."
Meng Ke paused for a moment before realizing what Meng Chao meant and chuckled lightly, "Is it Lin Qin?"
"Yeah," Meng Chao admitted without hesitation.
"Then go for it. I don't care whether it's a boy or a girl." His younger brother being moved for once was rare, and Meng Ke naturally wouldn't interfere or object—it was, after all, Meng Chao's happiness.
After ending the call, Meng Chao gazed through the window at the glow emanating from Lin Qin's room and slowly smiled.
Gentle and yet resolute.
...
Weibo had exploded.
Starting from the post Meng Chao shared yesterday, captioned "My kid," the topics surrounding Meng Chao and Lin Qin had continually trended.
By evening, someone posted behind-the-scenes photos from "We're Together," and the entire Weibo climaxed. The hashtag #MengChaoAndLinQin soared to the top of the trending list, marked with the explosive tag.
Both Meng Chao and Lin Qin were notoriously low-profile individuals in the entertainment industry. However, unlike Lin Qin's status, where his presence in the industry was almost nonexistent due to his discretion, Meng Chao, while low-key, had an enormous fan base.
Besides being large in number, Meng Chao's fans were fiercely loyal. After all, not every artist was as extraordinary as Meng Chao—a title crowned with mythical reverence.
So when fans learned Meng Chao was participating in a reality show, Weibo was filled with enthusiastic "ahhhhh," eagerly anticipating its broadcast.
After all, Meng Chao's public appearances rarely went beyond his films. When there were no new movies released, fans could only revisit his earlier works.
Yet this time, Meng Chao had actually signed on for a reality show!!!
As the buzz surrounding "We're Together" surged, Lin Qin—who was filming alongside Meng Chao—began garnering attention too. No, it seemed Lin Qin had captured significant attention the moment Meng Chao posted "My kid" on Weibo.
Lin Qin had only acted in two films, both niche arthouse projects.
The first won Lin Qin the Best Newcomer Award at a domestic film festival, while the second directly propelled him to the Cannes Best Actor pedestal.
Now, these two films were being unearthed by followers.
The hashtags #LinQinGodlyVisuals and #LinQinsActingSkills trended simultaneously, catapulting Lin Qin into the spotlight.
To put it bluntly, this industry is still ruled by those obsessed with looks. In Lin Qin's two films, his appearances were completely different, and his characters polar opposites; in one, he was even portrayed as a homeless man early on. However, not even the coarse clothing or grimy makeup could conceal Lin Qin's striking features in still shots.
His ability to win Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival was lauded repeatedly. In the second movie, Lin Qin played a painter with dual personalities. While watching the film, the audience took Lin Qin as two separate individuals. The clothes, the makeup, and even the appearance were identical, yet through Lin Qin's performance, it was unmistakably evident that these were two different people—two fully independent individuals.
When the film ended, it was only then that audiences woke from their trance, realizing, "Wait, it was all Lin Qin's acting? It didn't feel like the same person at all!"
[Ahhh, Lin Qin! What kind of celestial being are you? Looking this good isn't enough—you have to have insane acting skills too!!]
[Sorry, Meng Chao hubby, I'm cheating on you with Lin Qin for a minute... He's too handsome!!!]
[How did I not discover this treasure before? He's not just good-looking—the acting, though!!]
[No, no, no, that's not just acting—it's like he IS the character. No sign of "acting" at all. What kind of treasure is this!!]
...
Meanwhile, underneath a behind-the-scenes "We're Together" Weibo post, the comments took on a new vibe altogether.
[Has Meng Chao finally done a reality show? Wish I could time-travel to watch it now ahhhhhh.]
[Am I the only one who thinks Meng Chao Daddy and Lin Qin look like the perfect couple standing side by side?]
[You're not alone. + ID number!!]
[Our Brother Chao's Weibo only follows Lin Qin, and Lin Qin only follows Meng Chao. Plus, did you forget the "My kid" post?! The sheer couple vibes—it's off-the-charts! I don't usually ship real-life pairings, but this time I can't resist!!]
[So hurry up and air "We're Together" already! Can't wait, can't wait!]
...
The internet buzz surrounding Lin Qin and Meng Chao had reached a fervent pitch. Chu Hong spent half an hour scrolling through Weibo but didn't see anything targeting Lin Qin, which relieved her enough to finally close the app.
She then pulled up her photo album, where the first image was of Lin Qin and Meng Chao watching a meteor shower—a shot captured at just the right moment, when their gazes locked.
Truthfully, it did evoke a kind of "one glance lasts a lifetime" sentiment.
Chu Hong smiled to herself and put her phone away.
Lin Qin, may all your wishes come true.
...
Though it was still early, the production crew was already busy.
At that moment, Lin Qin descended from upstairs, dressed in a pale yellow tracksuit that perfectly complemented his proportions. His long, slender legs caught the eye.
He greeted the staff with a soft "Good morning" before heading out for a jog.
Just as he reached the stairs, Meng Chao's low voice rang from behind him, "Didn't we agree to go together?"
Lin Qin turned around, watching as Meng Chao took long strides down the stairs. The morning sunlight cast an ethereal glow around him, as if enveloping him in a divine halo.
"Brother Chao." Lin Qin stepped back, softly explaining, "I… thought you were still sleeping."
Standing beside Lin Qin, Meng Chao responded with a smile, "It's fine. Let's go."
"Okay."
The two jogged along the boardwalk by the beach before returning. Meng Chao headed upstairs for a shower, while Lin Qin entered the kitchen, washed his hands, and began preparing breakfast.
A simple sandwich was already ready by the time Meng Chao came downstairs.