One day, Qin Cheng suddenly fell from grace.

As a celebrity, sooner or later, nine out of ten will fade into obscurity. Fading away is a situation that ninety-nine percent of celebrities will face, and the reasons vary, such as a failed career transition. A former idol who’s now in their forties or fifties can’t keep acting in idol dramas. If they fail to transition, they’ll face increasing irrelevance.

However, generally speaking, a celebrity as popular as Qin Cheng should be almost impossible to fall from grace. Superstars often retire from the entertainment industry in their forties or fifties to enjoy life, investing, opening companies, living a lavish and comfortable life, and even going on world tours.

Moreover, a superstar of his caliber wouldn’t rely solely on good looks; they’d certainly possess immense talent. Even if they don’t retire, they wouldn’t become irrelevant due to age. Such superstars are either exceptional actors or top-tier singers. Their talent guarantees their future, making them almost invincible.

But Qin Cheng didn’t make it to that point.

At the age of thirty-three, he faded into obscurity.

It was the prime of his life, a man’s perfect age. No one expected this man to have five consecutive movie flops, with box office plummeting to rock bottom, public opinion turning upside down with widespread criticism, not a single award nomination, let alone a win.

Even with Qin Cheng’s strong foundation, three consecutive years of flops slowly led him down the path of irrelevance.

Turning on the TV, entertainment talk show hosts and guests were lamenting how Qin Cheng’s last movie was so obscure and unwatchable. Opening the computer, online, former fans had unfollowed him one by one, becoming mere passersby, all echoing the sentiment: “Qin Cheng’s last movie, Nightmare, was truly awful, couldn’t understand it at all.”

Watching these comments and lamentations, a man sat on the sofa, silent for a moment, then sent a message to his agent: “…Should I retire from the industry?”

This time, Xu Jin didn’t reply for a long time. Over an hour later, he finally sent a message: “Actually, retiring now isn’t bad. Retreating while you’re ahead, in a few years, everyone will only remember your classic works, not how you are now.”

Looking at the blinking text on his phone, the man slightly pursed his lips and didn’t reply.

He used to have too many engagements, but he didn’t want to take any of them. Now, he’s idle at home all day, with no engagements to take. The advertisers sending endorsement offers are all for low-quality, unregulated products; accepting them would only make things worse, not better.

In contrast, Rong Xu’s career was flourishing.

Out of 365 days a year, he was rarely home for about 360 days. This young Chinese actor flew all over the world, releasing at least two movies a year, each a box office hit with stellar reviews, winning awards left and right. His name, “Rong Xu,” could be seen everywhere, from streets and alleys to online and TV.

The empty house had no trace of warmth; Rong Xu rarely came home, as he was busy with work.

The house was too empty and too big, lacking any warmth. After sitting silently on the sofa for an hour, Qin Cheng turned on the TV. Just then, the screen showed an entertainment program, with a female reporter interviewing Chu Qi on set.

Chu Qi was actually acting, and it was a collaboration with Rong Xu. The female reporter asked Chu Qi a few questions, and he answered politely. On the scrolling subtitles at the bottom of the program, there were several hot gossip news items of the day, such as “Lin Xuan announced engagement with girlfriend yesterday” and “Wen Xuan revealed a past crush on Qin Cheng.”

The handsome man watched the TV screen expressionlessly. Just as Chu Qi answered the third question, he suddenly widened his eyes, looking at the young man who walked out from behind Chu Qi with surprise and delight.

When the female reporter saw Rong Xu, she was clearly even more excited. She quickly handed him the microphone, excitedly asking several questions.

Rong Xu was only twenty-five this year, but he was already a superstar at the pinnacle of the global entertainment industry. Moreover, he was at the peak of his career; almost every news item about him made headlines, and his fans were spread worldwide, making him the dream lover of girls globally.

His delicate and elegant face, refined by time, added a few touches of masculine maturity. When he listened intently to the female reporter’s questions, his expression was focused, and his demeanor graceful, making the well-experienced female reporter blush. And when he curved his lips, revealing a calm and gentle smile, time seemed to stand still for him.

Undoubtedly, all the world’s starlight converged upon him.

Rong Xu patiently answered the female reporter’s questions, while Qin Cheng lowered his gaze, watching the TV. He hadn’t spoken to Rong Xu for a week; this was the first time he’d seen him in a week. Each time he called, the other person was busy, but he understood that his beloved had to work.

However, at that moment, he heard the female reporter suddenly ask: “Regarding the box office failure of Nightmare, what are Rong Xu’s thoughts? Qin Cheng has had five consecutive abnormal film performances. Over the past three years, does Rong Xu have any advice for Qin Cheng’s performance?”

Hearing this, Qin Cheng unbelievably widened his eyes, staring fixedly at his lover on the TV screen.

Rong Xu frowned slightly. After a long pause, he sighed softly: “I don’t want my lover to be so despondent and low-spirited all the time. To be honest, I’ve also helped Qin Cheng, but I don’t understand why he’s become like this. We haven’t seen each other for a long time now, and I think we both need a cooling-off period. Perhaps that would be good for both of us.”

Qin Cheng instantly froze.

On TV, the female reporter immediately caught a big scoop: “Rong Xu, does that mean… you’ve considered breaking up?!”

Rong Xu smiled helplessly: “I have indeed been thinking about breaking up recently.”

Boom!

Like a thunderclap on a clear day, the man instantly froze. He stared intently at his lover on the TV screen, then suddenly picked up his phone, found that most familiar name in his contacts, and prepared to press it. But at the moment he was about to press, Qin Cheng’s action suddenly stopped. He frowned: “Wait, Chu Qi said before that he would never act… And isn’t Lin Xuan gay? He’s engaged? How could Wen Xuan have had a crush on me? When did I even make a movie called Nightmare…?”

His gaze slowly shifted to the television. Unbeknownst to him, the TV had turned itself off. Qin Cheng narrowed his eyes, staring at the completely black screen. Just then, a door opened behind him. Qin Cheng turned around and saw Rong Xu, who was supposedly a thousand miles away, standing in front of him, saying with a disappointed expression, “Qin Cheng, you’ve fallen.”

Suddenly, Wen Xuan also appeared beside Rong Xu: “You’ve fallen.”

Chu Qi appeared: “You’ve fallen.”

James appeared: “Qin, you’ve fallen.”

Elder Liu stepped forward: “Qin Cheng, you’ve fallen.”

Lin Xuan: “You’ve fallen.”

Xia Muyan: “You’ve fallen.”

Klemens, Hugh, Jennifer, Xu Sheng, Old Holt… even Rong Xu’s assistant Rosie stepped out, shouting loudly, “Qin Cheng, you’ve fallen!”

And finally, a familiar face suddenly appeared before Qin Cheng, wearing an expression of deep disappointment, and began a long speech: “I told you to take Elder Liu’s new film, I told you to endorse Caloia, and look, you’ve fallen! You’re simply too much, you’ve been resting for four months, is it easy being your agent?! You…”

“Xu Jin.” The man subtly curved his lips, his eyes narrowing slightly, saying with a half-smile, “In reality… we’ll settle this slowly.”

The moment his words fell, everything shattered. Qin Cheng opened his eyes to see faint moonlight streaming through the window, illuminating the ceiling. His forehead and back were covered in sweat. Although he knew by the end it was certainly a nightmare, he had been frightened. Waking up suddenly, his first reaction wasn’t to wipe away the sweat, but to pull the person in his arms closer.

Rong Xu, suddenly pulled into an embrace, woke up groggily. He pushed the man away in disgust, muttering, “So much sweat, you stink,” then turned over and continued to sleep soundly.

But how could Qin Cheng still sleep?

He picked up his phone, walked out to the balcony, closed the window, and unhesitatingly dialed a number. The moment the call connected, the other party angrily yelled, “Qin! Young! Master! It’s three in the morning! You’d better have a good reason why you’re disturbing people in the middle of the night! You don’t sleep, but I need to! Be reasonable!!!”

“Help me take Elder Liu’s new film.”

“Do you know I just finished feeding my daughter and coaxing her to sleep at 1:30 AM? I only slept for half an hour… Wait, what did you just say?!”

Qin Cheng: “Help me take Elder Liu’s new film.”

Xu Jin instantly sobered up. After repeated confirmation, he nodded enthusiastically: “Although that film requires half a year of intense training beforehand, and you won’t see your Rong Xu, it’s definitely a good film! I told you, you can’t always refuse projects for personal reasons. If you keep this up, you’ll definitely fall within three years, maybe even have five consecutive movie flops and not get a single nomination. Then you’d truly be finished, hahahaha. If you’re finished, you won’t be worthy of your Rong Xu, are you scared? But thankfully, it’s not too late to listen to an old man’s advice. I’ll contact Elder Liu tomorrow.”

“You’ve been nagging me with those words for two months now.”

A low voice came from the other end of the phone. Although the other person’s tone was calm, for some reason, hearing that voice, Xu Jin’s heart pounded. He felt his scalp tingle and his hairs stand on end, as if something terrifying was staring at him from behind. He coughed, trying to calmly ask, “What… what words have I been nagging you with?”

Qin Cheng suddenly chuckled softly: “I’ve fallen.”

A shiver ran through him. Xu Jin’s lips trembled, keenly sensing something unusual.

“Qin… Qin Cheng?”

Qin Cheng smiled slightly, his voice gentle: “Starting tomorrow, you’ll enter the film crew to familiarize yourself with the training process for me.”

Xu Jin’s eyes widened in horror: “Qin Cheng!!!”

“As my agent, the ace of Huaxia Entertainment, I need your help, and I trust your capabilities.”

Xu Jin: “I want to rest for two more days, I…”

Qin Cheng: “Hmm?”

Xu Jin: “QAQ!!!”

What did he ever do to deserve this?!

After playfully teasing the culprit who had been nagging him for two months and caused his nightmare, Qin Cheng entered the room. Without a word, he embraced his beloved through the covers.

Rong Xu, instantly awakened by the hundred-plus-pound weight, grumpily slapped the man’s face: “You don’t sleep, but I do. Goddess Orange, please understand that you’re not the ‘little goddess’ under a hundred pounds that your fans claim. No one cares if you don’t sleep in the middle of the night, but please let me sleep well, okay?”

Rong Xu unceremoniously pushed the man away, pulled up the covers, and went back to sleep. But just as he closed his eyes and hadn’t truly fallen asleep, he heard a wronged voice beside him: “Xiao Xu, you said you wanted to break up with me…”

His drowsiness instantly vanished. Rong Xu’s mouth twitched. He pulled down the covers, speechless: “Are you dreaming?”

Qin Cheng actually nodded seriously: “Yes, I had a nightmare.”

Rong Xu: “…”

Next, Rong Xu heard an absurd and boring nightmare. He wasn’t at all concerned about how much mental trauma Qin Cheng suffered in this nightmare where he had fallen from grace. Instead, he was very curious: “I can understand you dreaming that I broke up with you, after all, I heard Xu Jin nag about it twice. But why did you dream of Brother Chu acting, Lin Xuan getting engaged, and most importantly… that Sister Xuan had a crush on you?”

At this, Rong Xu’s expression became serious: “Right, explain yourself. Why did you dream that Sister Xuan had a crush on you? Why Sister Xuan? Why did she have a crush on you?”

Qin Cheng stepped back half a step: “…Because it’s absolutely impossible. Just like Chu Qi acting and Lin Xuan getting engaged, it’s impossible.”

Rong Xu glared: “Then you could have dreamed that Sister Xuan was a LES! Why did you have to dream she had a crush on you?”

Qin Cheng thought for a moment: “Because even if she were a LES, she wouldn’t have a crush on me.”

Rong Xu: “…That actually makes some sense.”

Wen Xuan, who was dragged into this for no reason: “…” Are you two a couple of psychos?! She clearly likes fresh young meat, okay!!!

After this commotion, the two of them really couldn’t fall back asleep. Rong Xu heard Qin Cheng talk about Elder Liu’s new film and somewhat understood that in two days, this man would enter the crew for special training, meaning they would indeed see each other rarely for the next six months.

This film was a perfect fit for Qin Cheng; Elder Liu’s most preferred male lead was Qin Cheng. Two months ago, Elder Liu personally approached Qin Cheng, hoping he would take the script. But this man was always willful. Coincidentally, Rong Xu was going on vacation for the next few months, and between “sweetly spending time with his beloved” and “undergoing special training for half a year,” he chose the former. Elder Liu expressed deep regret but still hoped Qin Cheng would be the male lead, to the point where the film hadn’t even started shooting yet.

Qin Cheng actually knew that this film was very suitable for him and was definitely an award-winning masterpiece. But subjectively, he wasn’t very interested in the script; he only objectively understood that it was a good script. This was one of the reasons he decided not to take the script before.

So, for these two months, Xu Jin came to his door repeatedly, trying to persuade him. Perhaps he had persuaded him so much, repeating that same speech thousands of times, that the man suddenly had a nightmare about those very words, waking up in a sweat.

Daybreak had arrived. Qin Cheng went to the bathroom to shower, while Rong Xu went to make some breakfast. As he scooped porridge into a bowl, a pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. A strong, overwhelming scent of male hormones enveloped him. Rong Xu hummed lightly and said casually, “No more dreaming such inexplicable things from now on.”

Qin Cheng asked, “No more dreaming that I’ve fallen from grace?”

Rong Xu slapped away the wandering hand: “It’s no more inexplicably dreaming that I’m breaking up with you. Would I break up with you?”

The smile on Qin Cheng’s lips grew wider. He gently shook his head, then shamelessly hugged him again: “I know, you wouldn’t.”

Rong Xu pouted, but couldn’t hide the smile in his eyes: “Eat, eat. Hurry and get your bowl.”

Three days later, Qin Cheng left Huaxia for special training in New Zealand.

On the day he left Huaxia, before the plane took off, Qin Cheng sat on the plane and, unusually, had the inclination to send a Weibo post:

【Qin Cheng: A few nights ago, I dreamt I had fallen from grace. All my fans were very disappointed in me, and I was helpless, only able to watch them leave. I also dreamt that @ChuQi went into acting, @LinXuan got engaged, and @WenXuan… well, let’s not talk about her. Finally, I dreamt that @RongXu was breaking up with me. It’s been a long time since I had a nightmare, and this one, I don’t want to relive it.】

Upon hearing this, fans instantly erupted.

【God Qin, you’re too much! I’ve decided to be a casual passerby for one day! How could we leave you? How is that possible! You’re too much!】

【I will absolutely never be disappointed in @QinCheng. I’ve loved you since your first movie, I’ve loved you for seventeen years, from a girl to a mother of a twelve-year-old. Qin Cheng, you are my favorite actor, please continue to make more great films! Always support you!】

【God Qin, foul play QAQ You rarely post such Weibo updates. How could we leave you? We’ll always support you, okay!】

Besides the fans, some people had a very strong reaction:

【Chu Qi: …Are you implying I have no acting skills? Like you falling from grace, is me acting absolutely impossible? I’ve unfriended this person, just so you know. //@QinCheng: A few nights ago, I dreamt I had fallen from grace…】

【Lin Xuan: What, what, what? I can’t get engaged? What does this mean!!! //@QinCheng: A few nights ago…】

【Wen Xuan: Are you sick?! @ChuQi @LinXuan at least know what you dreamt about them. Since you won’t say what you dreamt about me, then don’t tag me! You piqued my curiosity and then wouldn’t say, it’s just too much. I’ve also decided to unfollow this person, just so you know. //@QinCheng: A few nights ago…】

You might ask, why did these three dare to directly confront Qin Cheng like this?

That’s because they knew a few days ago that “Crazy Qin” was going to New Zealand for special training and wouldn’t be seen for the next six months. When the cat’s away, the mice will play. No matter how much they gloat now, could Qin Cheng really haunt their dreams and kill them? Hahahaha.

When Qin Cheng got off the plane, Rong Xu also reposted the Weibo update.

【Rong Xu: So you thought it was impossible for you to fall from grace like that, and then you woke up ^_^? //@QinCheng: A few nights ago, I dreamt…】

Looking at this message, the man slowly curved his lips and reposted it again: 【I dreamt you were breaking up with me, and then I suddenly realized I was dreaming. //RongXu: So you thought you…】

Then, the next moment, he posted a new original Weibo update, tagging his most beloved youth.

【Qin Cheng: I don’t believe in myself, but I believe in you. @RongXu】

__

Author’s note: 

Qin Chengcheng: Scared me to death QAQ How could Rong Rong break up with me, how could he! 

Rong Rong: …Dare to dream nonsense again, and I’ll really team up with Xu Jin to mess with you. Xu Jin: QAQ Please spare me, is it easy for me?!