180: Don't Romanticize Everything

Don't Romanticize Everything

The atmosphere over the dinner was particularly good tonight. Perhaps, it was because all of these men gathered after days so they had a lot to talk about. No matter what, each of them found this atmosphere infectious and couldn't help smiling throughout the whole dinner.2

As always, Lin Zhen had a lot to criticize about each of them and didn't forget to lecture this bunch of kids that he was raising for years now. Fang Yiwen was Fang Yiwen. He'd do anything to irritate the hell out of this 'mother hen.' 

Then there was Huang Shuyi who rarely had his eyes fully opened and tonight seemed to be the night where all his energy was replenished and he was itching to discuss the details of Hyson's role with him. The only one who was silent throughout this mess was Pei Zi Hong. However, he had a smile permanently etched on his face as he watched all of his members together.

"Oi! Zi Hong, why so quiet?" asked Fang Yiwen as he pushed his hair back from his forehead. "Don't tell me your girlfriend asked to break up?"

That remark earned him a slap on his head from Lin Zhen, "Is that something you should say to him? If you can't wish him happiness, don't curse his happiness either!"

Fang Yiwen rubbed his head and grumbled incoherently under his breath.

On the side, Huang Shuyi turned Hyson's face towards himself, "Don't pay attention to them. You give me something to look forward to."

"What do you want to know, Yi Ge?" inquired Hyson helplessly.

"Any inside news?" suggested Huang Shuyi. "Anything is fine with me. After all, you're gonna play Yang Anyu. That's like the legendary character. He is my most favorite villain in the whole series."

As Huang Shuyi said that, everyone around him turned silent. Soon, the three gathered around them and Pei Zi Hong took the lead to ask, "Villain? Our Fai is gonna play the role of a villain?"

Fang Yiwen's tongue darted out as he licked his canines before speaking up, "Have you met our Fai? Can he even play the role of a villain? Who is the idiot who offered him such a role? Isn't he more suitable to be the pretty guy or the cute brother?"

Huang Shuyi gave them a detestable look as if they were a bunch of idiots. "What do you all know?" Even his tone and words showed how he looked down on them for being ignorant right now. "Whether Yang Anyu was a villain in the series or not is still under the heated debate. The whole fandom wants to know what the author was thinking when she created such a character." He looked Hyson up and down before nodding in appreciation, "I can see why she selected him. The peculiarity of this character lies in how innocent he looked. He was so loveable that when his real face was shown, the whole fandom rioted."

"Miss Sora said she thinks her Yang Anyu came to life when she looks at me," Hyson also gave his input. "That is why she insisted on choosing me even though I have no prior experience in performing arts."

Huang Shuyi nodded agreeably, "From what I know of this author. Sora is very sensitive when it comes to Yang Anyu's character. She was criticized for female and male protagonists' character but she didn't react but once someone only wrote that they hate Yang Anyu, she lost her temper. Since then it's widely known to fans that she values this character more than anyone else."

"Hmm..." Hyson hummed in response. "She told me how much this character or in her words, her baby means to her."

"What else did she say, Yue Fai?" inquired Lin Zhen. Hyson raised his brow in question and Lin Zhen placed his hand on his shoulder saying, "Since the moment you came back, I can see something is up with you. She must have said something to make you think so deeply."

"Oh..." responded Hyson dryly and thought back of what Sora said to him. He took a deep breath, "She said there is something lacking in me."

"What?"

"In my audition, the one thing that lacked was... The expression of painful longing that only love brings out. To be very honest, it went all over my head." Since these people made him feel comfortable, Hyson didn't try to hide anything and told them honestly. 

Hyson was surprised to see how the rest of them fell into deep thought. 

"Four heads are better than one," said Fang Yiwen. "We'll definitely come up with a solution for this issue."

"Wait!" called out Pei Zi Hong. "Xiao Fai, have you ever had a crush on someone?"

Hyson didn't even have to think before he shook his head.

"So, you never even liked anyone?" questioned Huang Shuyi and Hyson gave him a nod in reply again.

"And here I thought you only avoided dating people," muttered Lin Zhen. "This problem is serious. You're twenty-four and yet you've never had a crush on anyone."

"I remember my first crush," announced Fang Yiwen with a nostalgic glint in his eyes. "I was in middle school. I was trying to catch a bus when she offered her hand to me. It was such a romantic moment that my heart kept beating wildly."

Hyson frowned at his words, "If my best friend heard your words, she'd tell you that after running to catch a bus, it's very normal for our heart to beat wildly. There is no need to romanticize everything."

Fang Yiwen choked on the memory that was still playing in his head as he gaped at Hyson in disbelief. Since he couldn't bring himself to be harsh with Hyson, he chose to turn towards Huang Shuyi for help, "Shuyi, who was your first crush? And how did it happen?"

Huang Shuyi also followed suit and flowed down the memory lane as he smiled softly, "She was my deskmate in school. Since I liked to sleep during class, she'd always take notes for me."

Hyson snorted, "That's called taking advantage of someone's goodwill. She was being a good neighbor by helping you and yet you exploited her feelings. Also, since she helped you, your heart took the wrong message. It's quite possible that your feelings towards her were of gratitude."

"I dated her! She was my first girlfriend!" 

Hyson shrugged his shoulders indifferently, "Yes, you did because you wanted to not feel guilty of taking advantage of her goodwill."

Huang Shuyi was feeling so mad that he picked up a bottle of water and gulped it down to extinguish the fire burning in his heart!

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