ADTCP Ch34

“Really? That’s great!”

Tao Zhen was pleasantly surprised. He couldn’t help looking forward to the upcoming volunteer event even more, and he didn’t notice anything off in Zhu Wensheng’s tone. Smiling, he said,

“Then make sure you sign up quickly later, okay? This event is definitely going to be super popular. If you’re late, it’ll be too late to get in.”

Zhu Wensheng lowered his eyes, his long, calloused fingers gripping the phone tightly. “Mm. I know.”

Tao Zhen still had to hurry to his next class, so after saying goodbye, he hung up the call.

This was a general class with several groups together; students streamed in noisily, quickly filling every seat. Tao Zhen settled down in a corner, exhaled, and unconsciously scratched his cheek.

Come to think of it…

Had Zhu Wensheng ever seen those CP edits of the two of them, or those fanfics pairing him with Qiqi?

Probably not.

A straight guy like Zhu Wensheng definitely wouldn’t care about that stuff. Those over-the-top fanarts and fics were way too wild. Even if he had seen them, he probably wouldn’t take them seriously.

With that thought, Tao Zhen twirled his pen and shoved aside the messy thoughts in his head. He completely forgot to ask what Zhu Wensheng had originally called him for.

***
A few days later, the volunteer list was finalized.

Sure enough, the event was just as popular as expected. Everyone was eager to sign up for something that both earned credits and gave free concert access. The organizer’s Q.Q inbox was nearly drowned by requests, and in the end, they had to filter participants by CET scores and GPA.

Tao Zhen was shocked-if not for being in the Music Club, he probably wouldn’t have made it in. He worried for a moment whether Zhu Wensheng had secured a spot, but when Zhu Wensheng told him it was fine, he let go of the worry.

The concert would be held in the evening, but volunteers had to arrive in the morning to help staff coordinate rehearsals.

The Olympic Stadium was over ten kilometers away from Nancheng University, so the organizers arranged several buses for transport. Because of safety issues, the organizers also asked some club leaders to help maintain order.

So, when Tao Zhen arrived at the parking lot, he immediately spotted two familiar faces-Bai Yuxuan and Liu Xian.

“Hey, Tao Zhen!” Bai Yuxuan’s eyes lit up, and he waved energetically. “I was just talking to Liu Xian about you, and then the next second you show up! You’re volunteering at the concert too?”

Tao Zhen jogged over, smiling as he replied, “Yes, hello Vice President Bai, hello President Liu.”

“Come on, don’t be so formal.” Liu Xian’s beautiful eyes curved with amusement. She teased, “Honestly, I’ve been replaying your videos a lot lately-I’ve practically become your fan. If you have a chance later, give me an autograph, okay, ZhenZhibang?”

Being called by one’s online handle in real life-truly one of the most embarrassing experiences in the world.

Tao Zhen’s face turned red in an instant, and he looked at Liu Xian almost pleadingly, stammering, “Senior…”

Both Bai and Liu laughed kindly, about to continue the banter, when a man in a trench coat and sunglasses strode toward them from a distance.

Their smiles froze. They exchanged a look, and from each other’s eyes, they both read the same deep dislike. They were about to take Tao Zhen and walk away when the man called out loudly:

“Bai Yuxuan!”

Bai Yuxuan stopped, turned back helplessly, and said, “President Li Jie, good morning.”

Li Jie?

Tao Zhen blinked and turned his head instinctively.

The very same guy he’d seen in the Z Era exhibition hall that night was strolling toward them, tossing a roster casually into the air before catching it again.

“Remember to take attendance later. If anyone’s missing, I’ll hold you responsible.”

“…”

That imperious, condescending tone made Tao Zhen frown instinctively. He was about to step forward to speak, but Liu Xian subtly pressed down on his arm to stop him.

Bai Yuxuan took a deep breath, clenching his teeth. “Mm, got it.”

“Good. Since it’s in your hands, I’ll get on the bus first,” Li Jie said lazily, not even bothering to remove his sunglasses. His attitude was arrogant, tinged with meanness. “Message me once you’re done. I’ll come check.”

He turned to leave-but then, catching sight of the person standing beside Liu Xian, he suddenly ripped off his sunglasses.

“Hm? Tao Zhen?”

Bai Yuxuan and Liu Xian both froze, their expressions reading loud and clear: What the hell, how do you two know each other?

Tao Zhen pressed his lips together, then stepped forward like a little lion shielding his companions. “President Li Jie, what do you want?”

“It’s nothing serious,” Li Jie’s face stiffened, and after a moment he forced out a smile. “It’s just that I didn’t see you in the latter half of the exhibition that day.”

“I heard you’ve already signed with Z Era? Is that true?”

Tao Zhen: “Yes. It’s true.”

Li Jie’s forced, awkward smile was starting to crack. His eyes locked firmly on Tao Zhen, and his grip tightened unconsciously-so hard that his sunglasses creaked loudly in his hand.

“Pretty good. Congratulations. Z Era is very suitable for newcomers. But, well, not so suitable for someone like me, who built up his account on his own.”

“Eh, no choice-when you’re making money independently, you can’t help but feel their contract terms are way too harsh…”

Bai Yuxuan and Liu Xian exchanged a glance and secretly rolled their eyes. Here he goes again.

They were just about to tug Tao Zhen away under some excuse when the golden-haired boy suddenly spoke with complete sincerity, as if he’d had an epiphany:

“Oh, so the reason you didn’t sign was because you didn’t like it.”

Seeing Li Jie’s face turn ashen and twisted, Bai Yuxuan and Liu Xian clenched their jaws, fighting with all their strength not to burst out laughing right in front of him.

They quickly composed themselves, coughed twice, and chimed in:

“Right, President Li Jie can run his account perfectly well on his own-why would he need to sign with Z Era?”

“Exactly, exactly. Tao Zhen, you should really learn from the President. He started posting videos on the platform two years ago-he’s your senior.”

The problem was, this so-called “senior” was terrible. His content was poor, his audience affinity worse, and he’d been flaunting himself for ages just because he was both a minister and a small-time blogger. Unfortunately for him, he’d run headfirst into Tao Zhen-a dark horse who’d only uploaded a handful of videos and already had major companies lining up to sign him.

Their little back-and-forth, equal parts praise and mockery, almost made Li Jie’s nose twist from anger. With a stiff “heh,” he turned on his heel, grinding his teeth as he stormed onto the bus.

Bai Yuxuan and Liu Xian finally let out a breath of relief. Listening to Tao Zhen describe what had happened at the Z Era exhibition, they couldn’t help cursing Li Jie a few more times under their breath. But after venting, they still warned Tao Zhen very seriously: from now on, he must be careful-never get tangled with Li Jie online. Better to provoke a gentleman than a petty man; no one could predict what tricks Li Jie might pull behind the scenes.

Tao Zhen nodded solemnly, then said goodbye to the two who had to stay behind for roll call.

Groups of students arrived one after another: sign in, get on the bus, fill up a coach; then another group came and repeated the process.

At first Tao Zhen waited patiently, but gradually he began to feel anxious-until at last, he spotted Zhu Wensheng jogging up from the distance.

The weather had turned cold. The black-haired youth wore a simple black down jacket and loose jeans. Nothing looked like a brand, yet his whole bearing carried an effortless, striking charm. Only, his expression was slightly heavy, as if he were in a bad mood.

Tao Zhen didn’t have time to dwell on it. His eyes lit up, and with light, quick steps, he rushed toward that direction.

The golden-haired boy, dazzling and bright, cut through the crowd to stand beside the all-black youth-surprisingly, they looked unexpectedly harmonious together.

“Sorry, I’m a bit late.”

Zhu Wensheng came to a stop, chest rising and falling slightly. “Something came up on the road, so I was held up for a while.”

“It’s fine, let’s go sign in first.”

Tao Zhen smiled brightly and led him over to Bai Yuxuan to tick off the roster. Unexpectedly, he had to search for quite a while before finally finding Zhu Wensheng’s name scribbled in by hand at the very end of the list.

Although Tao Zhen found it a little strange, he didn’t think too much about it. Soon he was bubbling with excitement again like a grade-schooler on a field trip, eagerly pulling Zhu Wensheng toward the buses. While lining up, he turned back to ask:

“By the way, Asheng, what happened on the way here? Traffic jam?”

“Mm, yes.”

After answering, Zhu Wensheng paused, then quietly pulled out his phone and glanced at it.

【Her and Her Dream: Bro, sorry-did you manage to sign in?】

【Her and Her Dream: I really messed up earlier. This morning I got carried away after spotting a celeb I liked and suddenly didn’t want to give you my volunteer slot. Don’t worry, it’s all sorted now-I’ve already spoken to the organizer.】

【Her and Her Dream: Transfer received [500 yuan]】

【……】

Volunteer slots were hard to secure. By the time Zhu Wensheng had contacted the organizer, they were already full. But he hadn’t told Tao Zhen he couldn’t go-instead, he quietly bought a spot from someone else.

He didn’t see this as any sort of sacrifice, only as a promise he had made to Tao Zhen-one he absolutely had to keep.

Once the people ahead had boarded, Zhu Wensheng pocketed his phone and followed Tao Zhen up onto the bus. The seats were nearly full, with only a few left near Li Jie. Tao Zhen hesitated, then tugged Zhu Wensheng toward the farthest possible spot from him.
“Let’s sit here.”

Zhu Wensheng answered with a quiet “Mm” and let Tao Zhen have the window seat.

Soon, once Bai Yuxuan and Liu Xian finished roll call, the bus started toward the Olympic Center.

Since it was a coach bus, the ride was a little bumpy. Before long, Tao Zhen’s head started lolling side to side in his sleep, until Zhu Wensheng simply guided it to rest against his shoulder.

Not long after, Zhu Wensheng suddenly felt a pair of eyes fixed intently on them. He turned-and immediately locked onto Li Jie in the crowd.

Unlike the other students, who were either dozing or chatting idly, Li Jie was pretending to play on his phone, though his gaze clung to Tao Zhen with an envious, bitter scrutiny. When Zhu Wensheng caught him, Li Jie froze as if a predator had set sights on him, his heart giving a hard thump before he quickly looked away, feigning nonchalance.

But inside, his chest was pounding with a perverse excitement.

Hadn’t Tao Zhen managed to sign with Z Era only because of Doctor Seven’s connections and resources? The internet was already full of speculation about their “relationship.” Everyone agreed there was something between them.

And if people were to see Tao Zhen cozying up to another guy…

Remembering the terrifying expression Zhu Wensheng had just given him, Li Jie’s heart quivered nervously. Still, he swallowed hard, and emboldened himself to snap a few sneaky photos in quick succession.

Head bent, he began editing and drafting captions, immersed in the thrill of his “soon-to-be victory,” completely unaware that Zhu Wensheng was watching him the entire time-through the reflection in the bus window.

Zhu Wensheng’s expression darkened. One hand shielded the still-sleeping Tao Zhen, while the other slipped his phone out of his pocket. He sent the photos of Li Jie straight to Zhao Zhao and his men, instructing them to dig into him.

Seeing Li Jie smirk smugly as he posted his “content” Zhu Wensheng’s face grew darker still as he sent a few more curt instructions.

At that moment, the bus jolted sharply.

Tao Zhen’s head slipped from Zhu Wensheng’s shoulder, snapping upright as he yelped, clutching his nose pitifully.

“Ugh… feels like my nose broke, it hurts so much…”

Zhu Wensheng stopped what he was doing immediately, turning to grip Tao Zhen’s chin and examine the injury closely, his words coming faster than usual:
“Really? Does it hurt that much? Did you hit the bone?”

The black-haired youth furrowed his brows, his double eyelids low, lips pressed together-a rare, genuine look of worry crossing his face.

It was the first time Tao Zhen had ever seen him wear such an expression while fully awake. His heart skipped twice before he hurriedly swallowed back the tears stinging his eyes from the pain, mumbling:
“No, I was just joking with you… it’s not that bad.”

“Really?”
Zhu Wensheng didn’t scold him like Tong Xia or Gu Xingzhou would have. Instead, still frowning, he gently pinched Tao Zhen’s nose bridge and carefully inspected his small face.

His expression was aloof, but his touch was astonishingly gentle.

The unexpected tenderness left Tao Zhen strangely parched. At last, once Zhu Wensheng confirmed nothing was wrong, he quickly turned away to fan his own face.

“R-really, I’m fine now… Look, we’re almost there-let’s hurry off the bus!”

Almost on cue, the bus came to a sudden stop. The students, restless after the bumpy ride, grew lively, chattering excitedly as they caught sight of the imposing Olympic Center outside the windows. As soon as the doors opened, they all surged out at once.

Tao Zhen had planned to stand up too but politely let others exit first, holding back with Zhu Wensheng. He didn’t expect Li Jie to suddenly shove past a girl in front of him, stride ahead, and throw him a look heavy with meaning-his smugness so obvious even his sunglasses couldn’t hide it.

Tao Zhen froze. Remembering Bai Yuxuan and Liu Xian’s warnings, his stomach gave a nervous lurch.

“Him…”

Beside him, Zhu Wensheng narrowed his eyes, feigning ignorance:
“What about him?”

“Nothing. Just… that guy seems to really dislike me. Because of the Z Era contract-I signed, and he didn’t.” Tao Zhen summarized quickly as they got off the bus, then anxiously pulled out his phone. “What if he did something behind my back while I was asleep…”

Speak of the devil-before Tao Zhen could even open the app, his phone chimed with multiple notifications. His assistant Xiaoyu had forwarded him a link.

Holding his breath, he clicked it open as if preparing for the worst.

【SuperStar: Hahaha this is hilarious. Doctor Seven can’t actually believe he and TrueStick are in love, right? God, he’s nothing more than a stepping stone for TrueStick to sign with Z Era . Poor Doctor Seven-does he even know he’s just a lovesick mutt pining after someone else?】

【TrueStick already has a boyfriend. Doctor Seven and TrueStick are fake. Don’t tell me someone here still doesn’t know? [pics][pics]】

“…”

The tension in Tao Zhen’s heart unexpectedly eased, and against all reason, he even felt a bit relieved.

The wording of the post was nasty, but hadn’t he just been worrying about how to cool down his ship with Qiqi? And now someone had practically delivered him a pillow as he nodded off.

…Should he actually be saying Li Jie “isn’t such a bad guy after all”?

Watching Tao Zhen’s expression shift from initial anxiety to hesitant thoughtfulness, Zhu Wensheng leaned down to take a look.

The photo showed the golden-haired boy dozing against a broad shoulder, delicate face half-hidden, while the black-haired youth’s hand shielded him protectively to keep him from slipping. The action was gentle, the soft morning light casting them both in a romantic glow. Even without clear faces, their superior looks and intimate atmosphere made their connection unmistakable.

“The photo…”

Seeing Zhu Wensheng look over, Tao Zhen scratched his cheek awkwardly, then commented objectively:

“Actually, it came out… pretty nice, don’t you think?”

Zhu Wensheng’s dark eyes flickered. After a beat, he gave a short “Mm.”

“It’s just that the caption was too much. Qiqi-Doctor Seven-he’s actually a good guy. He only recommended Z Era to me, nothing more. He’s definitely not some stepping stone for me to sign a contract.” Tao Zhen’s voice rose with indignation. “And calling him a lovesick mutt in unrequited love? Utter nonsense!”

“I really want to confront that guy, but… I don’t have any proof yet.”

Zhu Wensheng lifted his lashes, voice calm but certain: “Evidence can wait. It will come. He won’t be smug for long.”

His tone was steady, carrying a quiet authority that was hard to resist.

Tao Zhen blinked. It reminded him of when they had run into Wu Bin-how Zhu Wensheng had reassured him with the same certainty, and in the end, things had unfolded exactly as he’d said.
“…Mm. Then we’ll wait!”

Zhu Wensheng nodded. He leaned closer, lowering his voice as if casually:
“So… how do you see Doctor Seven?”

Tao Zhen was caught off guard. For some reason, it felt like he was being quizzed by a jealous boyfriend: ‘Do you think he’s handsome or not?’

Shaking his head to banish the thought, he answered straightforwardly:
“Mm, he’s a friend. I’m grateful he reached out when I was being bashed online for no reason.”

“But keeping his relationship a secret from his fans-that wasn’t right. Even if he and his girlfriend really are a good match-”

“He has a girlfriend?” Zhu Wensheng suddenly cut in.

“Yeah.”

Zhu Wensheng straightened, a faint tension leaving his chest. Fixing his gaze on Tao Zhen, he said flatly: “Then that post was only right about one thing.”

-Tao Zhen already has a boyfriend, and it isn’t Qiqi.