Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day

Chapter 39: A Pool of Autumn Water

After hanging up the phone, Shen Jintai went to look at the hot search.

Holy shit.

When did he get on the hot search?! The ranking wasn’t very high. The hot search term was also very weird: “Eunuch love”.

He kind of wanted to know what it was so he could laugh at it. After clicking on it, he knew why Li Melan said he went viral. It was full of neat and uniform GIFs of the bed scenes between him and prince Zhou Ying with the comments full of screaming groundhogs*.

*Screaming groundhogs (在土拨鼠尖叫) = I think it’s a reference to this. Warning: lower your volume, it’s a loud sound.

Fuck!

It turns out that he went viral because of this bed scene!

Shen Jintai knew that he should be able to rely on this drama to make a fire, but he didn’t expect the fire to be so rapid. It only took two episodes from the broadcast. In less than three hours, it had already spread like wildfire.

Even more excited than him was Monsoon Entertainment. The scene also included Zheng Siqi. Zheng Siqi was antsy in the middle of the night because he found that his Weibo followers was rising like a storm. From tens of thousands of fans, it rose to 300,000 in less than three hours.

That number was trivial for a big star, but for him, a newcomer, a rise of 10,000 people was enough to delight him.

“This hot search…” He said to his agent, Sister Wen: “The company didn’t buy it for me, did it?”

“You think too much, the company bought you one before the broadcast, but the response was lukewarm. This may be… Shen Jintai must’ve bought it, right?” Sister Wen tone wasn’t certain. She thought this hot search could be the real deal. It was unexpected and reasonable. She knew this explosive point very well.

With the development of society, homosexuality was no longer a rarity. In the past two years, the public’s recognition of homosexuality had also increased a lot. The public had shown a supportive attitude towards those in the entertainment industry who had faintly same-sex scandals… with the exception of Shen Jintai, who chased after men until he went bankrupt. Had it been women, he still would’ve been ridiculed.

In the era when everyone is self-reliant, it is despicable to post goods* wherever you go.

*Post goods (倒贴货) = refers to abandoning your self-esteem to make someone happy.

In the past two years, there have been films and television dramas with same-sex themes on large and small screens, but the expressions were very restrained and vague*, especially in the field of TV dramas. <The East Palace is Coming> had set a precedent. Not only did it have a straightforward love scene between men, but the protagonist was also a eunuch. Such taste!

*Clarity: in the sense where it’s only hinted at. It’s not clear-cut.

The sex scene was filmed with raw emotions and shown in a non-erotic way. The moment the clothes were torn, it really stimulated people’s adrenaline. What’s more, both actors are young and handsome.

Shen Jintai eunuch’s appearance was good and complimented Zheng Siqi’s handsomeness. Their ancient costumes were equally as beautiful, elegant, and noble as Bai Qingquan’s. The two people who could set fires with their faces, were involved in a love scene that was tragic and dog blooded.

The scheming little eunuch used his beauty to seduce the pure-hearted prince, but he didn’t expect that he would also fall into it. This sense of fate was like moths drawn to a flame. It was too easy to swallow!

In the past few years, it’s not like there haven’t been dramas that had similar themes, but they usually have many shortcomings. Some of them would have characters with too poor appearance that aren’t easy to film, while others were not well-made and shoddy. High-value nicely produced same-sex media haven’t been touched in a long time!

After the first episode was broadcast, feelings were still mixed. It wasn’t until the second episode that major forums, Baidu, and Weibo began discussing “Mrs. CP”, as well as the sex scene at the end of the episode.

“I, really, kneel, down*!”

*Kneel down (跪了) = buzzword representing great admiration and worship.

“Damn, I watched it with my family at the time, and the whole family was stunned! Hahahahaha.”

“Really, really, I didn’t expect this drama to be so good. Fortunately, I watched it by myself. After watching it, I just wanted to groundhog scream!”

“I can refresh* the GIF of the two of them a thousand times. Shen Jintai was particularly beautiful!”

*Swipe/brush/refresh (刷) = buzzword referring doing something repetitively.

“As soon as the sex scene between the two of them was shown, they directly overshadowed the parts of the male and female protagonist right before*.”

*Clarity: it’s referring to the sex scene between the two leads of the series, which I guess was shown before this scene. It was mentioned in a previous chapter that both the main leads and Li Xu and Zhou Ying had already had sex up to this point according to the script.

“Who wants to watch the love scenes between men and women, and the filming was so vague. The director must also know which would be more explosive, so he arranged the Mrs. CP sex scene at the end.”

“Hahahahaha, what the hell is your wife! Watch the trailer. The next episode is the flogging scene. Ow, ow, the little whip was smacking hard all over his body. My poor heart!”

“Hahahahaha, I just like this kind of dog blood. It’s so exciting.”

“I originally wanted to say, after watching the first episode, if the weekly drama doesn’t catch people at the beginning, the ratings will be very disastrous later. As a result, the second episode gave me this! Fuck me, it’s really good!”

“This drama is really on fire. As soon as the second episode came out, I watched many places and constantly swiped the screen.”

“Shen Jintai is about to turn red. I don’t know how Bai Qingquan, the male lead of the same drama, feels about this!”

Bai Qingquan was sitting cross-legged on the bed. His heart was throbbing.

Wei Ge specifically called late at night: “Stabilize your mind. This is only the first week.”

Bai Qingquan let out a “Nn”.

Wei Ge was silent for a while, and then said: “Your highlights are later on.”

Bai Qingquan responded with a “Nn” again.

When they looked at the script, they both thought that the role of the second male lead was good and would be more topical, but it was only good. It was impossible for Bai Qingquan to give up on the male lead and play a supporting villain. The role of Li Xu could be played by someone else, but it can also become popular.

It’s just that it caught fire so suddenly and fast, most likely due to a combination of the character and the actor. Both the character and Shen Jintai could create countless topics. His comeback, the eunuch’s love, a high-profile large production… factors like these were mixed together to form the current chemical reaction. With a “boom”, it exploded.

All these components adding up seems as if they were making a wedding outfit for Shen Jintai.

Wei Ge felt that he wasn’t getting through to Bai Qingquan so he resigningly said: “In the end, it’s like this. The drama is a hit. The worst case would be he becomes the most outstanding character in the show, but as long as the drama is hot, you both can drink the broth.”

“What I want is to not share the broth with Shen Jintai.” Bai Qingquan said. Shen Jintai became popular too suddenly.

Bai Qingquan remained calm for a bit. Unable to control his emotions any longer, he threw himself onto the bed bitterly. Shit. He was a bit regretful!

But Shen Jintai’s acting skills were really good. He… deserved this role.

But…… Arghhhhhhhhhh!

Bai Qingquan had insomnia that night, so he picked up the script and went over it. After reading it, he forgot about fame and fortune. He had gone through 19 episodes in the script.

The role of Zhou Jing was not an ordinary white lotus male protagonist. He had the determination to become emperor and his heart was fierce. The 19th episode included a plot point of his arranged marriage. By the 20th episode, he became the crown prince.

This was his highlighted moment, and he must act well. He doesn’t want to drink broth. He wanted to eat meat!

—

Shen Jintai wandered around Weibo, forums, and Baidu, and saw that his name was swiping screens in almost every entertainment section. The more he watched, the more excited he became. Li Xu’s most climatic scenes hasn’t even arrived yet.

He must swell the faces of those who had disregarded or blackened him!

Shen Jintai stayed at the Yan’s manor today. It was hot so he was sweating a bit. When he arrived at the floor-to-ceiling window, he opened it a bit only to be hit with the burning heat. It was so late at night, but the wind was still so sultry.

It seems like it’s going to rain.

When he looked at the swimming pool in the backyard, he faintly saw the water and light shaking. He was momentarily stunned and decided to take a closer look. He saw that it was someone swimming in the pool under the basking moonlight.

The weather was abnormal today. It started to become hot during the day, and the sultry heat intensified in the latter half of the night causing Yan Qiuchi to be unable to sleep.

As a man in his prime, especially a particularly abstinent man like him, this kind of weather gave rise to hormones. With the air conditioning set too low, the temperature was too hot and dry. Unable to fall asleep, Yan Qiuchi went out to the pool to do a few laps. When he can’t sleep, he likes to exercise, which helps expend his energy and relaxes his mind.

After swimming for a while, he became a little thirsty. He climbed out of the pool, put on a bathrobe, and went back to his room.

The water in the pool stopped quivering and its stillness reflected the bright moon.

Shen Jintai suddenly felt itchy. He was full of excitement that he was restless. He put on some baggy pants and went downstairs quietly to the swimming pool. He squatted by the side and touched the water. This pool of autumn water was warm.

He was afraid of the cold. He turned around and when he saw no one, took off his T-shirt. Still keeping his pants on, he slid into the water. The dark clouds in the sky quickly drifted away revealing faint specks of moonlight behind them. He doved into the water and as he emerged saw a person standing by the pool.

Yan Qiuchi was wearing a white bathrobe and carrying two bottles of beer in his hand.

Shen Jintai quickly wiped off the water on his face and quickly swam to the pool’s edge, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Yan Qiuchi was also surprised to see him and asked: “Can’t sleep?”

Shen Jintai let out a “Nn“ as he stretched out his hand to poke the water: “You can’t sleep either?”

“It’s a bit stuffy.” Yan Qiuchi said.

Shen Jintai replied with an “Nn” and remained silent. He didn’t know what to say to Yan Qiuchi. Yan Qiuchi wasn’t thinking that he’s trying to hook up with him, right?

He was about to climb out of the pool, when Yan Qiuchi handed over a bottle of beer in his hand: “Drink?”

Shen Jintai was stunned. He stared at him from the swimming pool. His eyes were dark and glowing from the light of the moon. It was rare for the male protagonist to take the initiative and throw him an olive branch. After his unremitting efforts, it seems that he had reversed Yan Qiuchi’s impression of him.

This was for the best.

Yan Qiuchi was a very good man. It’s normal for him to treat him like this. He didn’t bear any resentment towards Yan Qiuchi and Yan Qiuchi had helped him in the past. They didn’t need to be lovers, but they didn’t need to be mortal enemies either. It’s best to be friends who are as light as water*.

*The friendship between gentlemen as light as water (君子之交淡如水) = idiom derives from the work Zhuangzi by Zhuangzi that’s a summary of Taoist theories. It means friendship comes from mutual tolerance and understanding. In this understanding, do not demand from each other, do not force, do not be jealous, do not cling to others.

Shen Jintai climbed out of the pool and sat by the edge. He took the beer from Yan Qiuchi’s hand: “Thank you.”

Yan Qiuchi sat down on the chair next to him. His bathrobe was loose, revealing a little bit of his chest, but the light was dim so he couldn’t see clearly. Shen Jintai only saw Yan Qiuchi’s feet. Yan Qiuchi was barefooted revealing slender and well-proportioned toes.

Shen Jintai unscrewed the bottle of beer, raised his head and took a sip: “Looks like it’s going to rain.”

Yan Qiuchi: “The weather forecast says there will be thunderstorms.”

Shen Jintai smiled and didn’t say anything. Yan Qiuchi broke the silence and said: “You acted very well.”

Shen Jintai turned his head when he heard this. He gave him a grin but remained silent. Yan Qiuchi looked at him. His gaze was gentlemanly and casual until… it fell on Shen Jintai’s chest.

Shen Jintai had fair skin. Under the moonlight that’s enveloped by the night, it made his skin look even fairer that many areas that were not as fair looked very conspicuous.

Shen Jintai didn’t pay any attention. Supporting his body with one hand, he was half leaning up gazing at the moon.

Yan Qiuchi felt a burst of heat. He quickly darted his eyes away, raised his head and gulped down his drink finishing all the beer in the bottle.

“You helped me secure this role,” Shen Jintai said: “Don’t worry. I will definitely play it well… Also, thank you for that time when I was drunk.” He gave a light laugh and turned to look at Yan Qiuchi. In the night, his face was milky, and his hair was glistening under the moonlight.

Yan Qiuchi suddenly felt that his heart was beating a mile a minute. He squeezed the beer bottle in his hand as his throat bobbed.

He must be suffocating. He should fall in love*. Whenever he faced Shen Jintai, his heart would rapidly pound. He stood up and said: “It’s getting late, so you should rest early.”

*Clarity: just in general because he feels “weird” whenever he looks at Shen Jintai.

Shen Jintai stood up revealing his slender shoulder, thin waist, and straight and long legs. The lines on his back and hips were vivid. The drenched trousers stuck tightly against his body.

Yan Qiuchi’s eyes abruptly tightened.

Ass.

He almost forgot about it when he saw it at a single glance. He thought the heat he felt was from the alcohol. Was the night playing tricks on him or was it the alcohol and his poor tolerance that made him muddleheaded? He couldn’t help but think: Shen Jintai’s figure looked really good… Amazingly good. Sturdy and tall.

“Good night then.” Shen Jintai smiled and said: “Thank you for the beer.”

After he finished speaking, he walked towards his room. Yan Qiuchi followed him in, restraining himself not to look at Shen Jintai.

He was not that kind of man. He only saw the wet footprints left behind by Shen Jintai on the ground.

After Yan Qiuchi returned to the room, he took a shower, changed into his pajamas, and laid on the bed. He couldn’t sleep anymore.

He really didn’t think about anything shameful. He didn’t think about the ass or those hips. But his heart was impetuous. The more he laid still, the hotter and intolerable he felt. The emptiness in his arms was unbearable. He grabbed a pillow, his fingers exerting slight force, as the back of his hands showed blue popping veins.

Shen Jintai was browsing on his mobile phone before going to bed. It was late at night, so Weibo and the forums were deserted. There was silence all around. The only sound was the wind.

After being muggy for so long, it was finally going to rain.

Shen Jintai likes the rain. Even the prelude to the rain gave him a sense of happiness. Since it was still so hot, he laid on the bed without any coverings. The moon outside was completely swallowed by the dark clouds. Darkness enveloped the night as a figure walked quickly to the swimming pool and fiercely plunged in.

With a rumble, Shen Jintai, who was about to fall asleep, trembled, and opened his eyes in a daze. Sweat slightly covered his forehead. A flash of lightning lit up his face revealing a fair face with clear eyebrows and rosy lips. With a crash the sound of thunder was heard as heavy rain poured down.

Yan Qiuchi came out of the pool. The heavy rain splashed hard on his towering and well-defined body. It was cold but it gave him a strange sense of excitement. He gasped as the water flowed down his chin.

The author has something to say：

I am suffering from skin hunger and thirst, and I want to hug someone.

His eyes are moving, as if there is a pool of autumn water hidden beneath them.

In the next chapter, Jintai becomes popular.

Kinky Thoughts: Two chapters today. Will try to release 2 chapters a day this week since I’m a little ahead. The story is getting really good and so I want to share it with you ASAP. Unfortunately, proofreading still needs to be done and right now, since I’m so into the story I rather translate further. Ah… the struggle.

Oh, poor Yan Qiuchi, already got friend zoned. Here’s what I’m picturing:

Yan Qiuchi’s thoughts: ‘I’m definitely not thinking shameful thoughts. Especially not that face or that body with those deliciously looking may cherries, or those amazing hips. And definitely not that fine ass. And I’m most certainly do not have a crush on Shen Jintai!!!’

Shen Jintai thoughts: ‘Yan Qiuchi and I can become good friends.’

Also, that last paragraph describing Yan Qiuchi drenched in the rain… Oof… I gotta fan myself a bit. I wonder if the Manhua has this scene… because I need it.