A Popular Idol Changes His Persona Every Day - Chapter 10

The two of them falling together happened in just a fleeting moment.

The cameraman and the shop assistant didn’t even have time to react. By the time they did, the cameraman immediately put down his camera, intending to go over and pull them up, but Ruan Zhi had already raised his arm and waved them off.

The group stopped instantly.

They watched as Ruan Zhi pulled the Movie Star to his feet. They noticed that the Movie Star’s fair, handsome face was already covered in a deep flush.

If not for his cool expression, he would have looked… truly like a man in the first throes of spring.

After standing up, he stayed quiet behind Ruan Zhi, eyes downcast as if lost in thought.

The Du fans were riding a wave of excitement:

“Good heavens, what happened during those few seconds the cameraman missed?!!”

“I want to know too! The expression on Dudu’s face is killing me! Ahhh!”

Ruan Zhi’s fans also sensed something was off:

“I detect an… unusual aura.”

” +1.”

While the two were buying clothes in the shop, the viewership ratings for the morning’s livestream were tallied.

The split-screen view of the Movie Star and Ruan Zhi accounted for 63.3% of the total viewership across the three split-screens and the main feed. The volume of bullet comments was equal to the total of the other four live screens combined.

Wang Chuan grinned at the data calculated by the statistics team. He patted the assistant director’s shoulder. “Did Ruan Zhi’s manager, An Ya, reply?”

The assistant director nodded. “Yes. An Ya said Ruan Zhi has been practicing his scripts too hard lately and is so immersed in his ‘Overbearing CEO’ persona that he can’t snap out of it. She said the production team can play it up however they want, as long as it isn’t negative coverage.”

“That works. A gold-star manager truly knows how to play the game,” Wang Chuan laughed. Reflecting on An Ya’s words, he nodded with understanding. “This kid Ruan Zhi is actually a pity. I saw his graduation performance at the Capital Media University; his acting is quite good. To be so immersed in a role just from reading a script at home makes him a rare, fine actor.”

Wang Chuan sighed pensively. “He’s just been hindered by that face. Sigh, people who are too beautiful tend to overshadow the play. Good directors are afraid the audience will only look at the face and ignore the drama. Bad directors don’t care, but Ruan Zhi’s parents certainly wouldn’t settle for that.”

The assistant director thought to himself: How can you call that being hindered? If I had Ruan Zhi’s face, I’d be content even if I couldn’t do a single thing. But since he couldn’t say that to the head director, he simply nodded in agreement.

They continued watching the Movie Star and the Idol’s split-screen.

It was no wonder so many people loved watching them; even the crew members enjoyed following their feed. The two directors weren’t surprised at all by the 63.3% share.

Wang Chuan saw Ruan Zhi and Du Cangsheng fall, the ten-second gap in footage, and then the Movie Star’s flushed but not angry face when the cameraman picked the gear back up.

A thought suddenly occurred to him that made him grin ear to ear. “Thanks to little Ruan Zhi for giving me a new idea. I finally know what mission to issue next.”

After buying the clothes, Ruan Zhi took Du Cangsheng for a full seafood feast, then dragged him through several shops, buying various small home decorations, daily necessities, belts, and cufflinks. Perhaps because they were shopping as a pair, the shop owners provided everything in matching sets.

Ruan Zhi didn’t think much of it. He perfectly spent over four million on his “CEO’s little wife” before dragging the Movie Star back to their destination.

Only the audience saw the truth:

“Ruan is a true CEO! Buying a whole pile of couple’s items so openly—that’s so sweet! Is the three-month couple plan starting with sugar-coating from day one?!”

” +1. No communication needed between them at all, hhh. A variety pro is a variety pro; he gets into character so fast.”

At this moment, even the Du fans softened:

“I take back what I said before. Ruan Zhi is really spoiling our Dudu to death. So happy!”

” +1. If Dudu’s other half is Ruan, I think I can accept it now.”

Only Ruan Zhi’s solo fans were a bit unhappy, feeling the pinch of Ruan Zhi’s spending:

“No, I don’t want this. I don’t want my baby to spoil others; I only want my baby to be spoiled!”

” …+1. Du Cangsheng, don’t try to pair with our Ruan Ruan, we don’t need it.”

” +10086!!”

Ruan Zhi’s solo fans felt distressed for their “baby.”

Regardless of the fans’ thoughts, Ruan Zhi and the Movie Star finally arrived at Du Cangsheng’s home. They had delayed so long on the road that the assistants sent by An Ya had already delivered the luggage, which was being watched over by the production staff.

When they arrived, Ruan Zhi took his luggage and looked up at the Chinese-style architecture before him, momentarily dazed.

The Ruan fans behind the screens were also stunned:

“What? This is the Movie Star’s house??”

” …I take back what I said about Ruan Ruan overspending. These two are clearly ‘Old Money vs. Old Money.’ Holy crap.”

” +1. A celestial romance. We should just watch and enjoy.”

The Du fans, who had just been “bought” by Ruan Zhi’s spending, immediately puffed out their chests: “Aha! Exactly! Our Dudu is very capable too. How is he not a match for your Ruan Zhi?” These fans completely forgot who the group most opposed to the “CP” was at the start.

Ruan Zhi looked at the Chinese architecture—the antique wooden doors and red pillars, the pavilions in the Tang Dynasty style, and the green bamboo flanking the screens in the courtyard. He felt like he had suddenly stepped onto the set of a historical drama.

He had actually liked the ancient style since he was a child, but the Ruan family’s properties were all in the city center, and his parents preferred easy-to-maintain minimalist designs. Consequently, his home was almost entirely a minimalist black-and-white style.

Du Cangsheng’s home was exactly the style he dreamed of.

Moreover, it wasn’t purely ancient. The outer walls were gray-white concrete fashioned in a traditional style—simple and elegant—while the inner walls were half glass and half wooden grilles. The floors were a mix of tiles, wood, and stone. Inside the entrance were man-made lakes and a small pavilion with a chessboard table. It had a modern minimalist vibe without losing the essence of traditional culture—a “New Chinese” style that broke traditional molds.

Crucially—a Chinese courtyard is very cool. There was a draft everywhere. In this scorching summer, the cool sensation made Ruan Zhi, who hated the heat most, feel like he was in heaven.

Ruan Zhi felt like he had arrived at a resort. He was suddenly extremely glad he had agreed to stay at Du Cangsheng’s house instead of making Du Cangsheng go to his place.

Seeing his reaction, the Movie Star—his smile deepening away from the camera—walked to Ruan Zhi’s side, familiarly took the three large suitcases from him, and easily pulled them up the steps to the door. He led Ruan Zhi through the courtyard gate.

Ruan fans: “Ooh—that’s a bit warm.”

The two walked through three corridors before reaching the guest hall. Du Cangsheng showed Ruan Zhi around and then led him to his bedroom. It was close to the hall, but it required turning down another long corridor. Ruan Zhi was getting dizzy from the winding paths, and the audience was even more dazzled.

Ruan Zhi couldn’t help but joke as they finally reached his bedroom: “Your house is really thief-proof.”

The Movie Star didn’t catch his drift and looked down at him, waiting seriously for him to continue. Ruan Zhi, caught by that expression, saw his joking mood turn serious. He puffed out his cheeks, looked away, and muttered an explanation: “Most people would get lost after coming in.”

Only then did Du Cangsheng understand. He nodded solemnly in agreement. “If you want to go anywhere, just find me.”

Ruan Zhi raised an eyebrow. “Can I find you if I wake up in the middle of the night?”

A flush appeared on the Movie Star’s face again.

Ruan fans on camera: “Huh? Ruan Ruan, what are you saying???”

Du fans began to deflect: “Ahem, well, Ruan, don’t flirt so directly, it’s a bit embarrassing~”

Du Cangsheng nodded with a red face and pointed to the room next door. “Yes. I live right there.”

Ruan Zhi followed the direction of his finger. Hey, it really was right next door. Du Cangsheng’s bedroom was right beside his.

Du Cangsheng put Ruan Zhi’s luggage into the guest room, and the cameraman following them followed the director’s instructions to remind them to start their mission.

The task for every couple today was to clean their new home. It was already past 3:00 PM; the other two groups had likely finished, while Ruan Zhi’s group hadn’t even started.

The cameraman and director were helpless. The audience behind the screen was laughing.

After the reminder, Du Cangsheng nodded politely to the camera. He went to the storage room behind the house, seriously put on a light gray apron, and brought out a broom.

The Du fans in the chat were dying of laughter:

“Dudu, suddenly swapping a trophy for a broom… I can’t quite make the switch, hahah!”

” +1. Though, I quite like the ‘domestic man’ setting, hhh.”

But Ruan Zhi was different. Amidst the harmonious chat about seeing the two men adopt a domestic image, Ruan Zhi stood with a stiff face, looked at the broom in the Movie Star’s hand, and shook his head seriously.

He extended an index finger and wagged it in front of Du Cangsheng’s eyes. “No. I won’t clean.”

He tilted his chin slightly, putting on a cold and heartless face, firmly expressing his refusal. How could an Overbearing CEO do housework? Ruan Zhi thought: Isn’t that what the CEO’s little wife is supposed to do? …Though the little wife was currently just a “little wildcat” and hadn’t been domesticated yet.

The Du fans who just said they’d support Ruan Zhi immediately wailed:

“Don’t, Ruan Ruan!”

“No! Don’t make our Dudu work alone, his house is too big!!”

Ruan fans had been on Ruan Zhi’s side, but seeing this comment, they burst out laughing:

“You have a point, I actually want to support you…”

” +1. Is this the pain of being rich? hhh.”

The protagonist of the event—the “little wildcat” Mr. Du—held the broom, looked at Ruan Zhi in silence for a long moment, then nodded without objection. “Okay.”

Ruan Zhi felt a bit embarrassed under that gaze, but then he thought: A CEO doesn’t clean, but a CEO can cook! In many books, doesn’t the Overbearing CEO proactively cook a bowl of porridge after getting intimate with the heroine? Making a meal shouldn’t hurt his CEO image.

The OOC System immediately signaled its agreement.

Thus, Ruan Zhi looked at the Movie Star and said, “You clean, I’ll cook. It’s about time for dinner anyway.”

This made Du Cangsheng’s fans happy too; after all, a division of labor was more acceptable to a fan base than one person doing all the work.

Guided by Du Cangsheng, Ruan Zhi arrived at the kitchen. It was also very large, but while the exterior was Chinese-style, the interior featured pure wood-toned modern appliances. Everything was very high-tech.

Ruan Zhi opened the fridge to find it packed with ingredients. He randomly picked a bag of green beans and some tofu and prepared to start dinner.

Fans crowded the bullet chat:

“Front row seat to watch the RZ Prince cook.”

“Watching silently. I always thought a star like Ruan wouldn’t know how to cook at all…”

Then they saw Ruan Zhi skillfully wash and chop vegetables. His steady knife work and even pressure instantly amazed the onlookers. Even the cameraman moved closer for a macro shot of the cut vegetables. Every green bean was exactly the same length, as if cut against a ruler.

Ruan fans were shocked:

“Holy crap… I always thought Ruan Ruan was someone whose ten fingers never touched ‘spring water’ (never did chores).”

They watched as he expertly boiled water, blanched the beans, and then started frying the tofu and beans. The fire roared under the pan, and the kitchen filled with the sound of sizzling oil. Just hearing the sound of the oil and vegetables, people in the chat began to cry out that they were hungry.

But one viewer pointed out a problem—

“Ruan Ruan, there’s too much smoke, you haven’t turned on the range hood…”

Just as that comment scrolled past, a loud Ding! rang out in the kitchen. The flames on the stove suddenly surged, and then with a Poof, the fire went out.

Ruan Zhi: “.”

The vegetables were almost done, yet the fire had died. Ruan Zhi was dazed. He bent over to try and relight it twice but failed. He quickly shouted Du Cangsheng’s name.

“Du Cangsheng!—”

Chat:

“Hahahahaha, why does this feel like a mom realizing there’s no salt while cooking and yelling at dad to go buy some?”

“Sister upstairs, shut up! hhh I can’t look anymore, hahahaha.”

The Movie Star heard the call and immediately dropped his broom to investigate. Entering the kitchen and seeing the indicator light on the stove, he understood everything instantly. “This house has too much wooden structure. If it detects excessive smoke, the safety system automatically locks the gas.”

So that was it. Ruan Zhi felt a bit awkward realizing he’d completely forgotten the hood. He watched as Du Cangsheng pressed the valve for three seconds and then turned it once to the left. The stove relit.

The viewers couldn’t help but praise:

“Wow, the Movie Star really is a reliable man who gives people a sense of security.”

But at that moment, a pillar of fire suddenly erupted from the stove, bypassing the sides of the pan and shooting toward the ceiling, enveloping the entire pan in flames. It even covered the stove knobs. The two men in front of the stove recoiled at the same time.

In less than five seconds, Ruan Zhi saw the green beans in the pan turn a dense, heavy black.

The food was scorched.

Ruan Zhi: “…”

Audience: “Damn, I take back what I said earlier. Too unreliable, hahahaha.”

Du Cangsheng turned back, his phoenix eyes wide and full of innocence as he looked at him. “I forgot you have to turn it back half a circle after turning it to the left.”

Ruan Zhi’s face went dark. You don’t even know how to use your own stove?!

But just as he was about to complain, the OOC System in his head began to scream: “No, CEO Ruan! Everything you say must fit the persona, CEO Ruan~”

Ruan Zhi swallowed his words and, with a grim expression, changed his line—

“Man, are you playing with fire?”

Du Cangsheng’s face flushed, and he didn’t speak.

The tall, handsome Movie Star with his natural aura of coolness had somehow gained a bit of domestic warmth after fussing in the kitchen. He looked like an obedient student waiting for a lecture. The yellowish kitchen light above made his features look soft, mellowing the sharp corners of his brows.

Ruan Zhi couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh to that face. He pressed his temple and waved him off helplessly, trying to maintain his “CEO-style” indifference. His eyes showed three parts coolness, three parts aloofness, and four parts nonchalance.

“The fire you started, you extinguish it yourself.”

Ruan Zhi felt there was nothing wrong with this sentence. But as soon as he said it, he saw the Movie Star purse his lips and stand still, his gaze sliding down to scan Ruan Zhi’s lower body.

Ruan Zhi: “???”