I Heard That I Am Poor

Chapter 96: My boyfriend is really—

The news is all about timeliness. Therefore, even before the Golden Melody Awards ceremony had ended, when they were still presenting the Best Album Design and Packaging Award, the hashtags #YuNianSweptSixMajorAwards# and #YuNian’sSuspectedConfession# quickly dominated the top two spots on the trending list.

The high-definition picture of Yu Nian kissing the ring was shared countless times, and fans’ reactions were diverse.

[I finally understand what it’s like to have stars in the eyes. When he kissed the ring, the entire Milky Way fell into Nian Nian’s eyes! Powder fan knees down!]

[Aaaaah, what a heavenly confession! It’s a pity he’s not confessing to me. QAQ It’s heartbreaking!]

[Damn it, Nian Gao girl can’t believe it! How come there was no hint of this before? How did they suddenly start dating? Whether it’s true or not, before it’s officially announced, media outlets, stop spreading rumors! But it’s hilarious to see those entertainment journalists and marketing accounts utterly confused, and that makes me happy!]

Meng Yuan was waiting backstage. At first, he was surprised to see Yu Nian running up and down the stage, winning six major awards one after another, but later on, he became calmer. However, when he saw Yu Nian raise his hand and kiss the ring with a smile, his heart raced, and he had a bad premonition.

When Yu Nian said the phrase, “Thank you for coming by my side,” Meng Yuan muttered to himself, “As expected, it had to happen…”

Meng Yuan didn’t reach the position of a top-tier manager by going into battles unprepared. On the contrary, he had planned every step carefully. When he heard Yu Nian say that potentially explosive sentence, he hugged the trophy and left the stage. He inexplicably felt relieved because he had left room for maneuver.

While thinking, Meng Yuan ignored the attention of the people around him and found a secluded corner to make a phone call.

After the awards ceremony ended and they were back in the nanny car, Yu Qing gathered her thin coat around her shoulders and laughed, “Hahaha, Yu Nian, your way of dropping hints is really top-notch! You know, after you said that last sentence on stage, Sun Mengze was gaping and came to me asking if the ring on your finger was just a decoration or if there was an actual relationship behind it!”

Yu Nian felt a bit embarrassed and subconsciously turned the ring, “Actually, I didn’t plan to say that before going on stage, but I couldn’t control myself.”

“I get it, I get it. Sometimes, feelings just can’t be contained!” Yu Qing didn’t think it was a big deal. She turned her head and looked through the car window at Meng Yuan, who was coming closer while on the phone, and couldn’t help but tease, “Your manager is going bald from stress!”

With a “whoosh,” the car door opened, and Meng Yuan and Shi Rou got in. After making sure the soundproofed windows were tightly closed, Meng Yuan threw his phone aside, loosened his tie, and glared at Yu Nian, “Can’t you give your dear Brother Meng a heads-up?”

Shi Rou whispered, “Yes, yes, my heart almost stopped beating. I thought you were going public!”

Yu Nian hadn’t spoken yet, but Meng Yuan retorted first, “I’m not afraid of that. Nian Nian is not foolish; he will take it step by step and gradually increase the fans’ acceptance threshold.”

Yu Nian laughed, “Yes, Brother Meng understands me.”

Meng Yuan rolled his eyes, “Stop flattery; I don’t want to understand you!”

Shi Rou also figured it out, “So, Nia  Nian first hinted that he might like someone, letting everyone guess. That’s a buffer. Later, he explicitly stated that he does have someone he likes, so even if it’s revealed later that it’s President Xie, the fans’ acceptance level will be slightly higher, right?”

She was curious again, “But why did you have to do it at the Golden Melody Awards?”

Yu Qing, dressed in a backless evening gown and wearing a thin coat to shield herself from the air conditioning, with her long hair and red lips, looked cold and glamorous. She spoke, “Because Nian Nian has always been positioned as a singer with real talent, not the path of a popular idol. Pop idols are afraid of losing fans due to dating, but Yu Nian is not afraid. And this Golden Melody Awards ceremony is the best proof of his talent. It’s a great opportunity.”

Yu Nian agreed, “Yes, that’s exactly what I thought.”

The two phones rang again, and Meng Yuan irritably glanced at the caller ID before simply turning off both phones. He instructed Shi Rou, “You should turn off your phone too.”

“Okay, okay!”

When all the phones went black, Meng Yuan sighed, “Finally, the world is quiet again! Those media were about to explode my phones!”

Yu Nian chuckled, “Thank you, Brother Meng.”

Meng Yuan snorted, then laughed heartily, “This little effort is nothing. It’s your first time attending the Golden Melody Awards, and you got nominated for eight awards, winning six of them. I can boast about this achievement for ten years!”

Everyone laughed.

Meng Yuan knew very well that Yu Nian was not a person who lacked tact. Even if he really wanted to confess, he wouldn’t do it without giving him a heads-up. Most likely, he got carried away while speaking and couldn’t hold back.

Moreover, the decision to say that sentence on stage was not impulsive; Yu Nian was sure that his manager had the ability to handle any crisis and wouldn’t leak any information.

This trust made Meng Yuan feel at ease.

“Forget about that. Isn’t today the 5th? The first round of sales statistics for ‘V+’ magazine is out.” Meng Yuan counted on his fingers and told Yu Nian, “This issue features you on the cover. It sold 50,000 copies in the first second and 160,000 copies in the first ten seconds. This result is truly outstanding, breaking the sales record!”

Sitting next to him, Yu Qing flicked her hair and casually added, “The sales record it broke happens to be mine.”

Yu Nian blinked and clasped his hands together, “I’m humbled.”

Yu Qing gave him an unreserved glare and waved her hand, “Get lost! Seeing you poking in front of me is annoying!” But then, she couldn’t help but smile.

After dropping Yu Qing off at her place, the car continued toward Yu Nian’s home. Meng Yuan looked through the windshield at the row of red taillights ahead and sighed, speaking leisurely, “After sweeping the Golden Melody Awards, your position in the industry is truly solidified.”

Yu Nian replied with a simple “Hmm.”

After a two-second silence, Meng Yuan continued, “Do you remember last year when you participated in ‘Sound of  Nature,’ and Xu Xuan tricked you, causing you to sprain your foot? Despite the pain, you gritted your teeth and danced the entire performance. Your clothes were soaked with cold sweat from the pain. At that time, I thought, with your dedication, talent, and hard work, your brilliance will never be diminished.”

He smiled and added, “And I get to enjoy the benefits of your success!”

After speaking, he turned from the front seat, raised his hand in a fist, and invited, “Keep working hard?”

Yu Nian lightly took a breath, feeling a sense of fullness in his heart. He raised his hand, and their fists touched. “Keep working hard!”

When Yu Nian got home, Xie You was already waiting for him.

Seeing Xie You, Yu Nian’s tense nerves finally relaxed completely. He handed the bag in his hand to Xie You, a bit impatient, “Quick, take a look!”

Xie You took the bag, feeling its weight. As he looked inside, he saw six golden trophies lying crookedly.

As Yu Nian changed his shoes, he said, “Brother Meng made fun of me for using these cheap bags that cost ten yuan a dozen to carry the Golden Melody Awards trophies back home.”

Facing Xie You, Yu Nian’s eyes revealed a hint of unhidden pride. “But with six trophies, they are not easy to handle. I really had to put them in a bag to bring them home!”

Xie You bent down, kissed Yu Nian’s thin eyelids, and said, “Well, you’ve worked hard, my Nian Nian.”

Wearing slippers, Yu Nian followed behind Xie You as they walked inside. He asked, “What about the cake? Didn’t you say you made a cake?”

After placing the bag of trophies on the sofa, Xie You averted his gaze and remained silent.

Yu Nian walked over to Xie You, leaned in, and kissed Xie You’s chin, smiling without saying a word.

Unable to resist Yu Nian’s eager expression, Xie You replied somewhat uneasily, “…yes.”

When Xie You brought out the small cake and placed it on the table, Yu Nian finally understood why Xie You had been avoiding eye contact.

The cake had a rough shape, and the cream decoration on top was messy. It seemed like it was too difficult to write with jam, so Xie You simply drew a crooked heart on it.

Yu Nian held back his laughter, took out his trophy, and arranged them in a circle around the cake. Then he took out his phone and quickly took a picture.

By the time Xie You realized what Yu Nian was doing, he had already quickly posted the photo on Weibo.

With numerous fans waiting, within fifteen seconds of the Weibo update, the comments surpassed ten thousand.

[Damn it, I’m going crazy! When other artists show off their trophies, they usually have one or two at most. But my Nian Nian has enough trophies to surround a cake! Isn’t that amazing? I’m blown away!]

[Aaaaaah, I’m finally among the first ten thousand comments! Gu Xuanning, I’m here! Even if you get married, I’ll still love you!]

[Congratulations to Nian Nian for winning six major Golden Melody Awards! Well-deserved! I respect all of Nia  Nian’s decisions! And that little cake in the middle, it shouldn’t be the handiwork of our little culinary expert Nian, right? It’s ugly, but so cute! Hahaha~]

Yu Nian casually scrolled through the comments, then looked up happily. “Many people are praising this little cake for being adorable.”

Xie You nervously pretended to clench his fist, covering his lips. After a pause of two seconds, he hesitantly asked, “So, um,” he hesitated for another moment, then finally asked, “what do you think?”

Yu Nian pretended to ponder and saw Xie You sneakily observing his expression, with his facial lines slightly tense, showing signs of nervousness.

Smiling brightly, Yu Nian said, “It’s the best and my favorite cake I’ve ever seen!”

Only then did Xie You relax.

After finishing the celebratory cake together, Yu Nian held a small wooden spoon and lazily leaned against the edge of the table, staring at Xie You until he blushed before stopping.

With his left hand supporting his chin, Yu Nian said, “I suddenly realized something.”

Xie You looked puzzled, “What?”

Yu Nian reached out, using the tip of his index finger to transfer a bit of cream from the corner of Xie You’s lips to his own, deliberately sticking out his tongue and slowly licking it clean. Then, he smiled with a raised eyebrow, “My boyfriend is really—”

Before he could say the words “handsome” and “good-looking,” with a “scratch” sound, the chair scraped against the floor, and Xie You suddenly leaned closer, directly blocking Yu Nian’s yet-to-be-spoken words with his lips and tongue.

This kiss was both urgent and passionate, causing both of them to quickly become breathless. Yu Nian’s lips were teased and tingled, and he couldn’t help but let out a low “Hmm.” The next second, Xie You lifted Yu Nian and simultaneously spread his legs, holding him around the waist. Before they could reach the sofa, Xie You closed the distance and kissed Yu Nian against the wall.

Amidst the scorching breaths, Xie You whispered, “Nian Nian.” The end of his voice sounded unstable, exuding a seductive charm.

Yu Nian clung to Xie You’s body, his eyes sparkling with watery light. He paused for a few seconds before responding, “Hmm?”

At this moment, he couldn’t find the right words to say. Xie You felt as though he was holding Yu Nian, just like the first time he touched the black and white keys of a piano with his ten fingers in his childhood.

“Nothing.”

Yu Nian leaned his chin against Xie You’s shoulder and half-closed his eyes, smiling gently—I know, you wanted to say, I love you.