The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 217

A week after confirming their relationship, the production team finally wrapped up filming in the highlands and moved to the film studio to shoot scenes at the General’s Mansion.

The film studio was surrounded by a thriving commercial area, and the living conditions were significantly better than in the highlands.

Lin Zhen was arranged to stay at a five-star hotel, and Jian Fu conveniently tagged along for the luxury.

When checking in at the front desk with his ID, the hotel system recognized Jian Fu’s name. The receptionist exchanged a glance with him and smiled faintly, then seemed ready to fetch the manager.

Jian Fu quickly stopped her. “No need to upgrade me to a suite. I’m not here for a vacation, and I’m not picky. I won’t find fault with your hotel either. I can stay anywhere, so just check me in.”

Truthfully, he wouldn’t have minded upgrading to a presidential suite to make Lin Zhen more comfortable. However, Lin Zhen was here for work, and with more paparazzi in the area, staying somewhere too extravagant might draw unnecessary attention.

The film studio also had convenient parking for trailers, so when Lin Zhen wasn’t filming, he could rest in the trailer, enjoy some air conditioning, and relax.

Meals could also be handled in the trailer, where Sister Mei prepared light and delicious dishes for Lin Zhen daily.

However, Lin Zhen’s focus during meals had long shifted away from the food.

Jian Fu placed a piece of steamed pork with dried bamboo shoots into Lin Zhen’s bowl. “You’ve got to eat some meat.”

Lin Zhen glanced disdainfully at the glistening piece of pork. It had already been cooked to be as light as possible, but after a hot and exhausting day of filming, he had no appetite for it.

He prodded the meat aside with his chopsticks. “Not eating.”

Instead, he picked up a piece of boiled spinach and ate it as slowly as if it were a strand of noodles.

Jian Fu looked at the delicate collarbones peeking out from Lin Zhen’s neckline and recalled Sister Mei’s stern reminders to make sure Lin Zhen ate properly; otherwise, his health might decline.

Feeling a bit aggrieved, Jian Fu looked at Lin Zhen and nudged his leg under the table with his own. “You’re not even going to eat the food I gave you, boyfriend?”

Lin Zhen paused mid-bite and lifted his gaze to Jian Fu.

Jian Fu repeated in a soft voice, “The food I gave you.”

Lin Zhen studied Jian Fu’s expression and saw that he was genuinely upset, as if he really wanted to enjoy the sweet ritual of feeding each other.

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Zhen reluctantly reached for the piece of pork. Under Jian Fu’s expectant gaze, he put it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

“There. I ate it. Happy?”

Jian Fu’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction. He raised an eyebrow and teased, “Boyfriend, aren’t you going to give me some food in return?”

Lin Zhen took a deep breath and sighed. “Can you just call me by my name?”

Even so, he picked up a piece of pork and placed it in Jian Fu’s bowl.

Jian Fu was much quicker than Lin Zhen, immediately eating the meat and then adding a shrimp with egg yolk to Lin Zhen’s bowl. “Now you try this.”

Lin Zhen: “…”

Before Lin Zhen could refuse, Jian Fu suddenly stood, bent down, and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Be good, eat it.”

“Your lips are greasy,” Lin Zhen complained, shooting Jian Fu a side glance. Yet, he still ate the shrimp.

He couldn’t resist Jian Fu—or, perhaps, deep down, he enjoyed the attention Jian Fu lavished on him.

After the kiss, Lin Zhen even grabbed a tissue, handed it to Jian Fu, and wiped the corner of his lips for him. He crumpled the tissue nonchalantly and said, “Let’s have dumplings or wontons tomorrow. Meat-filled ones are fine. This is really unappetizing.”

Jian Fu nodded like a pecking chick. “Anything works. I’m not picky.”

With Jian Fu’s coaxing, Lin Zhen ended up eating quite a bit of meat and shrimp. Afterward, the two squeezed into the narrow bed in the trailer to rest.

The bed was so small that if the air conditioning hadn’t been cold enough, it would have been unbearably cramped.

But for a couple in the honeymoon phase of their relationship, just being together was enough to overcome any discomfort.

Jian Fu snuggled up against Lin Zhen’s back, wrapped his arms around his waist, and murmured into the back of his neck, “Why do I like you so much? I feel like I’m falling even harder for you, Lin Zhen.”

If Lin Zhen had seen someone else acting this lovey-dovey, he would’ve found it cloying. But when it was happening to him, it felt perfectly normal.

Humans are indeed hypocritical, he thought. No matter how clingy Jian Fu was, Lin Zhen automatically found it adorable.

During their final week of filming, since they were no longer in the highlands, work felt a lot more relaxed. They wrapped up earlier in the evenings, leaving time to focus on other things.

Jian Fu, who could never sit still, dragged Lin Zhen out for a stroll after he finished showering.

Lin Zhen wore a bucket hat, a mask, and a plain black T-shirt to keep a low profile as he and Jian Fu wandered around the commercial district near the film studio.

Even at night, the streets around the studio were bustling with people. The darkness and crowd helped Lin Zhen blend in, allowing him to enjoy a casual walk with Jian Fu.

The two of them couldn’t even walk properly. Lin Zhen balanced on the curb, hands in his pockets, slowly strutting like he was on a catwalk.

Jian Fu walked alongside him, occasionally giving him a playful nudge. Lin Zhen would steady himself before nudging back.

This simple back-and-forth somehow amused them endlessly. At one point, Lin Zhen nudged a little too hard, not expecting Jian Fu to go easy on him, and almost stumbled off the curb.

Jian Fu laughed and quickly caught him around the waist, steadying him back onto the curb.

Lin Zhen elbowed Jian Fu lightly in the chest and complained, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Jian Fu feigned innocence. “I didn’t! Besides, you’re the one throwing yourself into my arms, big star. Don’t blame me.”

Lin Zhen took a deep breath, shot him a glare, and turned his head away.

Jian Fu smoothly hopped around to his other side and, through his mask, planted a quick kiss on Lin Zhen’s lips. “Want some milk tea?”

Startled, Lin Zhen’s eyes widened. “Aren’t you afraid of getting caught on camera?”

Jian Fu shrugged. “You’re practically wrapped up like a silkworm cocoon. Who could recognize you?”

Lin Zhen glanced toward a milk tea shop across the street. There were a few people in line, and the shop seemed pretty popular.

He was feeling a little thirsty and craving something sweet, so he nudged Jian Fu’s arm. “I want the white peach oolong milk tea.”

“Got it. Want roasted baby potatoes too?” Jian Fu asked, noticing the shop’s side menu and the aroma wafting through the air.

Lin Zhen shook his head. “No potatoes. Too high in carbs.”

“Wait here for me.” Jian Fu joined the line, while Lin Zhen stayed in a quieter spot, idly kicking at fallen leaves on the ground and occasionally glancing over at Jian Fu.

The night breeze carried a hint of warmth, mingling with the various aromas of street food. The glow of streetlights and the hum of voices created a lively, cozy atmosphere.

Scenes like this felt incredibly happy.

Back in high school, Lin Zhen had gone street-walking with Jian Fu once before. They’d been out shopping for a birthday gift for their class monitor, playfully pushing and shoving each other as they walked down the snowy streets. Despite the freezing winter, they’d somehow worked up a sweat.

So many years had passed since then.

In that time, they had experienced things most people wouldn’t encounter in a lifetime—harrowing moments that came down to life or death.

But they made it through. In some ways, everything had stayed the same, yet so much had changed.

What mattered most was that they were both safe, and life was only getting better.

Each step they had taken had been the best possible choice, and there was nothing more fortunate than that.

Before long, Jian Fu returned with two cups of milk tea, remembering to get Lin Zhen’s with 30% sugar.

The two of them sipped their drinks as they strolled down the street.

There were many stalls selling traditional-style clothing and accessories, mostly for women. Jian Fu occasionally picked up an item out of curiosity, holding it up to Lin Zhen’s face or hair to see how it looked.

Lin Zhen would patiently take it off, put it back on the rack, and pretend to raise a fist at Jian Fu.

Jian Fu grabbed his fist, and they ended up holding hands, continuing their walk like that.

The film studio even had a cinema, though ticket prices were double what they were outside, especially for late-night screenings. These were particularly popular since many actors and crew only had time at night.

A blockbuster movie was showing, so Jian Fu grabbed a bucket of popcorn and dragged Lin Zhen in to watch it.

In the past, they could’ve freely picked any seats, but now they could only sit in the back row, keeping out of sight.

Slipping into the dark theater, all the audience’s attention was on the big screen, so no one noticed whether a celebrity was sitting among them.

In the cinema, the two acted just like any ordinary couple. They passed the bucket of popcorn back and forth, let their arms touch on the armrest, held hands, and occasionally whispered to each other during exciting moments, sharing secretive smiles.

After two satisfying hours of watching the movie, they stepped out of the theater to find the streets much quieter. Most of the shops had already closed, and it seemed that the nearby film crews had finished for the night as well.

Finally free to take off his mask, Lin Zhen walked into the middle of the street, swinging his arms freely.

Jian Fu, holding the unfinished popcorn, trailed behind him. Suddenly, he pointed to the sky and exclaimed, “Look at the moon!”

“Huh?” Lin Zhen stopped in his tracks and tilted his head back to gaze upward.

The night sky was deep and vast. With the shop lights dimmed, the stars and moon shone even brighter.

Only then did Lin Zhen realize how clear the sky was here. Likely due to the area’s focus on tourism and lack of heavy industry, the stars were unusually vivid.

The sky felt low, heavy with countless stars, resembling a translucent chessboard. The bright moon hung in the center, its soft halo radiating warmth, its edges perfectly rounded.

“So beautiful,” Lin Zhen murmured.

But Jian Fu wasn’t staring at the moon. He was watching the sparkle in Lin Zhen’s eyes. Leaning closer, he kissed Lin Zhen on the cheek and said, “You’re beautiful too.”

Lin Zhen’s eyes curved into crescent moons as he sipped his milk tea.

“Jian Fu, I’ve noticed your romance EQ has improved a lot lately. You used to be such a dummy,” Lin Zhen teased.

Jian Fu protested, “What dummy? I cared about you so much back then too! But… I was young and clueless at the time, you know? I wasn’t overthinking things. Besides, who could compare to my brother and big panda—treats relationships like project deadlines.”

Lin Zhen immediately defended Li Rong, countering, “The class monitor is just more mature than us.”

After speaking, he rubbed his arms. The late-night breeze was getting a bit chilly.

Without hesitation, Jian Fu draped his jacket over Lin Zhen’s shoulders and wrapped his arms around him through the coat. Stealing a sip of Lin Zhen’s white peach oolong tea, he grinned, “Now I get why my brother was so jealous of you back then. Heck, I’m even jealous of that ‘big panda.’ Let me drink some milk tea to balance out the sourness.”

Lin Zhen couldn’t help but laugh. “Why don’t you drink your own?”

Jian Fu quipped, “I just want yours. Yours is sweeter.”