Shen Mo's cheeks were flushed red. Feeling Sheng Yiyang's joy, he smiled along with him.
Sheng Yiyang unlocked his phone and showed Shen Mo the fans' blessings. He thought to himself that he would never let go of Shen Mo's hand, which meant Shen Mo was destined to be exposed to all of this.
Call him selfish, call him cold; whatever they said, he would never let Shen Mo leave his side.
Shen Mo looked at the screen of Sheng Yiyang's phone, while in his ear was that deep, gentle voice, explaining his relationship with the fans and saying, "They like me, so they'll like Momo too. Does Momo want to get to know them?"
Shen Mo looked at the phone, then at Sheng Yiyang, bit his lip, and smiled softly. "I like them too!"
His eyes sparkling, he handed his own phone to Sheng Yiyang. "Yangyang, my fan account!"
Sheng Yiyang kissed his bright eyes, downloaded Weibo onto his phone, and had him follow his own account.
As soon as Shen Mo got his account, he started exploring it on his own. Sheng Yiyang watched him affectionately from the side. He sent the account name "Yangyang and Momo" to Ji Rong, telling him to keep an eye on it occasionally, and then followed it with his alt account.
Shen Mo looked at Sheng Yiyang in confusion.
"Momo, this is our little secret~ We won't tell them," Sheng Yiyang said.
A secret? With Yangyang? Shen Mo's eyebrows curved into soft crescents in an instant. He threw himself back into Sheng Yiyang's arms, kissed his chin, and went back to browsing Weibo.
Over the next few days, Shen Mo was completely immersed in Weibo, growing particularly fond of browsing Sheng Yiyang's Super Topic. Meanwhile, Sheng Yiyang officially accepted the script *King of the Peak* that Yu Chen had handed him, and after the audition, the director took an instant liking to him.
In fact, even without Yu Chen acting as a matchmaker, the director had originally intended to invite Sheng Yiyang anyway.
"Yangyang~"
Sheng Yiyang was deeply engrossed in his script when he suddenly heard Shen Mo's voice. He snapped his head up, thinking something had happened to Shen Mo, but before he could move, a small figure threw himself right into his arms.
Shen Mo flipped over to straddle Sheng Yiyang's lap, hooking one arm around his neck while holding his phone out with the other. His eyes were as bright as the stars. "Yangyang~ Look~"
What Shen Mo was showing Sheng Yiyang was a pair of chibi, affectionate mask-wearing figures from the Yangyang fan club. Over the past few days, Shen Mo had figured out that the "little angel" the fans kept talking about was actually him.
"Yangyang, I want to post this too~" Shen Mo looked toward his paintings in the corner. He drew Sheng Yiyang every chance he got, and he already had quite a collection.
Sheng Yiyang's eyes rolled playfully as he raised a hand to pinch Shen Mo's delicate nose. "What should we do since I want to post something too?"
Shen Mo blinked in confusion.
"Momo, you post this one, and I'll post that one."
Sheng Yiyang carried Shen Mo over to his "studio" and picked out a couple of pieces. The first one he pointed to was his own watercolor portrait; in the painting, Sheng Yiyang's eyes were gentle as he raised one hand in a devout kiss.
As for the second one, which he wanted to post himself, it was a sketch of Sheng Yiyang holding him close. Shen Mo had drawn it during a time when he was missing Sheng Yiyang terribly.
This would be just the thing to show off their affection.
One watercolor, one sketch. The former had a mature artistic style, while the latter simply showed Sheng Yiyang affectionately holding someone, making it impossible to tell they were drawn by the same person.
Shen Mo didn't quite understand, but as long as Sheng Yiyang liked it, he obediently let Sheng Yiyang guide his hand to leave a signature in the bottom right corner of the watercolor.
@ShengYiyang: Let me share a secret with you all. This was drawn for me by my little cutie~ [Image]
[Oh-ho, looks like someone couldn't hold back anymore?]
[Drawn by the cutie~ Though why did the cutie draw himself looking so scribbly?]
[Talk about true love.]
[Still, the little cutie's drawing of Yang-cub is really handsome. I can practically see the doting look in his eyes.]
[Ahhhhh is the little cutie a professional artist?]
[Uh... seriously speaking, he looks like he only started learning recently. The lines are fluid, but the brushwork is a bit messy.]
[Hip-hop hip-hop, sisters, I've struck gold! @YangyangandMomo, this sister's art is seriously amazing!]
[Holy shit, my vocabulary is limited, so I'll just use a holy shit for everything! Truly amazing!]
[When did such a bigshot join our Yangyang fan club?!]
The fans instantly swarmed to Shen Mo's Weibo page, hitting follow, comment, and like all at once. Even random passersby were astonished, and soon the topic was trending on the hot search list.
Shen Mo watched his phone buzz incessantly. Sheng Yiyang turned off his direct messages for him. "Momo, as long as you know how they feel, you don't need to pay attention to them. Post if you like, don't post if you don't."
"As long as Momo is happy."
Sheng Yiyang cupped Shen Mo's little face, rubbed noses with him, and showered him with sweet, lingering kisses.
Shen Mo obediently tilted up his small face to accept them, until suddenly, a sharp phone ringtone pierced the air.
Sheng Yiyang frowned, steadied his breathing, and pulled out his phone to glance at the caller ID. He frowned again, hesitated for a moment, and finally answered.
Shen Mo curled up in Sheng Yiyang's arms, hugging him tightly. "Yangyang~"
"I'm here." Sheng Yiyang hung up the phone and kissed Shen Mo's little face. "Momo, how about coming home with me?"
Shen Mo paused, looking around the small apartment they lived in.
Sheng Yiyang chuckled ruefully. "My real home, Momo. Let me take you to meet my family, okay? They're bound to love you as much as I do."
Even if his old-fashioned, strict father would stubbornly threaten to banish him from the Sheng Family in a fit of rage, he would still secretly sneak a look at online news afterward. In his past life, it was precisely because that man cared about him that it ultimately led to the Sheng Family's calamity.
Shen Mo blinked, feeling a thick wave of sorrow, self-reproach, and guilt radiating from Sheng Yiyang.
"Yangyang, I like you too."
This was the sentence Shen Mo said most frequently lately, and every time Sheng Yiyang showed even a hint of sadness, it would be met with these words from Shen Mo.
Later on, once he knew the truth, Shen Mo could only... helplessly bite down on Sheng Yiyang's shoulder.
The next day, at Age Mall, Sheng Yiyang held Shen Mo's hand and strolled swaggeringly among the crowd.
Shen Mo self-consciously rubbed the powder on his face, repeatedly glancing at reflective surfaces to check out his somewhat unfamiliar reflection.
"Momo, no one is going to recognize us."
Sheng Yiyang lifted his chin with confident eyes; he had absolute faith in his makeup skills.
Right now, passersby could only tell this was a fairly decent-looking couple, and would never in a million years associate them with the top star Sheng Yiyang.
"Momo, the old stick-in-the-mud likes things like chess sets, calligraphy, and paintings. When the mood strikes, you can just paint him something to pass the time. As for my mom, you can just buy whatever randomly, and my brother—he'll take whatever."
The reason these two had come to the mall was because Shen Mo wanted to buy gifts for Sheng Yiyang's parents—something he had learned about while watching videos with Yu Zimo a while back.
Shen Mo pouted, his clear eyes shining with curiosity as he gazed at the dazzling array of decorations and clothing.
He spotted a shop named Miss, and through the glass cabinet, he saw a cyan outfit on display. Its graceful and luxurious look instantly made him unable to tear his eyes away.
Sheng Yiyang led Shen Mo inside. Seeing the admiration in their eyes, the sales clerk put on a habitual, polite smile. "I'm sorry, this set is 'Qingmo,' designed by Master Yiya. It's for display only and is not for sale. If you like it, you can follow the official Miss website; it might be put up for sale in the future."
Shen Mo's body stiffened slightly when the clerk approached. After she finished speaking, his gaze remained longingly fixed on the outfit.
Sheng Yiyang rubbed Shen Mo's head, a flash of light moving through his eyes. Since Momo liked it, he would just find a way to get his hands on it.
"Well, well, looks like just anyone is allowed into Miss nowadays! Have some self-awareness and look at what kind of trash you are!"
Sensing the malicious tone, Shen Mo instinctively hid behind Sheng Yiyang.
Sheng Yiyang raised his eyelids and looked at the person running his mouth. Recognizing who it was, he let out a cold laugh.
Still an old acquaintance.
Xiang Yeliang, the crown prince of the Shangdu Xiang Family. Good-for-nothing, playing both sides, and Sheng Yiyang's sworn enemy since high school. Xiang Yeliang had once tried to rope Sheng Yiyang into his circle of delinquents, but he hadn't expected Sheng Yiyang to look down on his cheap, sleazy tactics. Even back in high school, their classmates had liked Sheng Yiyang better and always loved comparing the two of them.
Later on, Xiang Yeliang had snatched Ling Chen away, and hearing the things Ling Chen said had practically sent him into raptures. Watching Ling Chen cozy up to him on one hand while keeping Sheng Yiyang on a string with the other, Xiang Yeliang had constantly called Sheng Yiyang an "idiot" in his heart.
Then he would hide in the background and watch the good show.
"What are you staring at? Staring at your own idiotic faces!" Xiang Yeliang lifted his chin arrogantly, his dyed red hair dazzling and eye-catching. His expression was haughty enough to shoot steam right out of his nostrils.
He then turned on the sales clerk and snapped, "Wrap this set up for this young master and leave it right here! Who says it's not for sale? This young master could buy your entire mall ten times over!"
Xiang Yeliang's arrogant words left the sales clerk stunned, and passing shoppers stopped in their tracks to watch, curious about which young master could spout such overbearing nonsense.
"Is this guy an idiot? Buy the whole Age Mall—does he not know this is property of the Kyoto Shen Family?"
A passerby rolled their eyes, completely speechless.
The Kyoto Shen Family was the richest family in the entire country; what family dared to compare wealth with the Shen Family?
Yet Xiang Yeliang was too arrogant to hear clearly, assuming they had said "Sheng." He curled his lip in mockery and sneered, "The Sheng Family? Sheng Yiyang? That idiot! He's not even fit to shine Ling Chen's shoes."
Passersby: "..." Where did this brain-dead moron crawl out from?
Among the passersby were Sheng Yiyang's fans: "..." This guy is a die-hard fan of Ling Chen's? Excellent, recording this right now!
Shen Mo frowned, glaring at Xiang Yeliang. He gripped Sheng Yiyang's hem tightly and tried his best to raise his voice. "Y-You're not allowed to talk about Yangyang like that!"
Xiang Yeliang sneered, "Where did this fool come from? Can't even string a sentence together, no wonder he likes Sheng Yiyang."
Yangyang fans: "..." You've really done it now, you've pissed everyone off.
Shen Mo's body stiffened, but he still stubbornly glared at Xiang Yeliang. "You have to apologize to Yangyang!"
Xiang Yeliang said, "Apologize? My ass! Look at that cowardly look of yours... though those eyes of yours, aren't you just trying to seduce me~"
With a lewd smile, Xiang Yeliang stepped closer and reached out to touch Shen Mo's face.
Shen Mo trembled violently. Long before that, the moment Xiang Yeliang had called Shen Mo an idiot, Sheng Yiyang's eyes had turned cold enough to kill. Noticing Xiang Yeliang's obscene gesture, Sheng Yiyang reached out, grabbed the outstretched hand, and sent Xiang Yeliang flying to the floor with a single kick. "Keep your eyes to yourself! Get lost!"
"Fucking hell, you actually dared to kick me! Believe me, I'll fucking finish you!"
Clutching his stomach, Xiang Yeliang raised his head to glare venomously at Sheng Yiyang. But as he met that murderous gaze, his heart gave a violent lurch—he was far too familiar with those eyes.
"Sheng Yiyang!!!" Xiang Yeliang then spotted the figure hiding behind Sheng Yiyang, let out a sharp cry, and immediately sneered, "What, did you dump Ling Chen and bring your little kept toy out shopping?"