Dating the Heartthrob Superstar-Chapter 49: Saying Goodbye

Chapter 49: Saying Goodbye

Chu Hong was well aware of the harm Fang Minghui had caused Lin Qin. She also understood what Lin Qin had gone through in the past.

That day, when Meng Chao asked her about it, she lied—not because she didn’t trust Meng Chao, but because she believed this was a pivotal part of Lin Qin’s past. Although it was full of ugliness, it should be Lin Qin himself who told Meng Chao about it.

Chu Hong even thought that if one day Lin Qin could tell Meng Chao about it in person, only then would he truly free himself from that part of his history and fully heal.

It was precisely because Chu Hong knew that Fang Minghui was the culprit behind that dark period that she wished he would stay far, far away, never appearing in front of Lin Qin again.

However, Chu Hong didn’t hide the news about Fang Minghui coming to record the show. During their lunch break, she took the opportunity to call Lin Qin out.

In the bamboo forest, aside from the rustling of the bamboo leaves in the wind, everything was quiet.

Chu Hong had already told Lin Qin about Fang Minghui. Everything depended on Lin Qin’s decision now. With Lin Qin’s current status, refusing someone from participating in the show was fully within his power.

Lin Qin remained silent for several minutes. Chu Hong, waiting anxiously at his side, couldn’t help but say, "If you don’t want him to come, I’ll handle it right now."

Lin Qin quickly shook his head. "No need. Let him come if he wants to."

Chu Hong was stunned. "Lin Qin, you..."

Lin Qin broke into an open smile. "Since it’s all in the past, what does it matter if I face it again? Besides..." Lin Qin glanced at the villa, his gaze soft yet resolute. "It’s time to say goodbye to the past."

Hearing this, Chu Hong, overjoyed, reached out and hugged Lin Qin, momentarily forgetting about his physical aversion to being touched by others.

When she realized this mid-embrace and started to pull away, she felt Lin Qin pat her gently on the back. Aside from the initial stiff reaction, he quickly relaxed.

Lin Qin said, "Cousin, thank you for staying with me all these years."

Unable to hold back, Chu Hong started crying tears of joy. "It’s nothing, it’s nothing. You getting better is more important than anything. Aunt and Uncle will surely be so happy."

Lin Qin’s parents had always felt guilty about what happened to him back then. If only they had taken the time to listen to Lin Qin, he wouldn’t have ended up in such a situation.

Now, if they learned that Lin Qin was gradually recovering, they would definitely be as happy as she was.

Thinking of his parents, Lin Qin felt a bittersweet pang in his heart. Saying he didn’t resent them would be a lie, but he also recognized the effort they had made to make amends over the years. Toward them, his feelings were deeply conflicted.

Realizing her slip, Chu Hong chose to say no more. After releasing Lin Qin, she gave him a thumbs-up. "Keep going, okay? You still have Meng after all!"

"Mm." Lin Qin’s face flushed, but the sweetness in his eyes was undeniable.

Seeing this, Chu Hong almost felt a toothache from how sugary it was. She mentally prepared herself to be bombarded with displays of their affection in the future.

The two of them returned to the villa. Meng Chao was sitting in the living room on the Taishi Chair, reading a book. When he saw them come back, he didn’t ask why but simply gave Lin Qin a smile.

To Lin Qin, even just a smile from Meng Chao gave him immense courage. He sat down on the armrest of the Taishi Chair and leaned lightly against Meng Chao. Even with just the faint contact of skin against skin, Lin Qin felt profoundly happy.

Meng Chao reached out, pulling Lin Qin onto his lap.

Normally, they were very restrained in front of cameras, but at times they just couldn’t help themselves—like now.

Of course, Meng Chao always remained poised, unconcerned about the cameras filming them. Lin Qin, on the other hand, was still a bit shy, but his desire to be close to Meng Chao overruled his reservations, so he let Meng have his way.

In the tranquil afternoon, the two held each other tightly, as if the world was calm and time was gentle.

Meanwhile, the director in front of the monitor silently endured another dose of secondhand affection ("dog food") and briefly mourned for the editor who would have to cut this footage later.

For the editor to craft an atmosphere that felt ambiguous but didn’t outright scream "real relationship" in such obviously couple-like moments—this was bound to be one of the toughest challenges of their career.

...

The guests arrived early the next morning.

Just as Chu Hong’s information had indicated, one of them was Yi Ran, a recently trending young idol star, and the other was Fang Minghui, the self-proclaimed "half-entertainment-industry insider" and CEO of Haichao Electronics Technology.

Fang Minghui had a notorious reputation for being a philanderer who didn’t discriminate. His relationships spanned from internet celebrities to rising stars in the entertainment industry. His scandals often dominated entertainment headlines.

Many netizens couldn’t stand him, but what could they do? The Fang Family was a renowned real estate tycoon in the country, and Fang Minghui himself was capable in his own right—running his tech company successfully.

What’s more, with his looks and "domineering CEO" persona, he had earned himself a sizable fan base. Many young girls fell for his act, constantly speculating about what kind of person could finally tame this butterfly flitting from flower to flower. Stories and novels based on him as a character were everywhere online.

So, in this era, sometimes being good-looking and wealthy was justice in itself.

Interestingly, the first boyfriend Jin Feiyun announced publicly upon returning to China was Fang Minghui. However, less than a month after they went public, Fang Minghui was caught in intimate photos with another foreign-returned up-and-coming idol. The photos were from an overseas trip, and they seemed to be kissing.

The car stopped on a winding mountain road. Fang Minghui and Yi Ran stepped out. From the car to the villa, there was still a stretch of mountain path to cover. As Meng Ke had said, since this was a "back-to-nature" show, it should be executed authentically.

The staff walked ahead, showing them the way and occasionally reminding them to watch their step.

It had rained the night before, so the mountain path was still damp and a bit slippery. freewёbnoνel.com

As soon as Yi Ran set foot on the yellow dirt path, he frowned and complained, "Which genius in your production team chose this place? Who picks a remote wilderness like this? Is your team leader out of their mind?"

He said it with what he thought was a joking tone, but the contempt in his voice couldn’t be hidden.

The staff didn’t respond, nor did they warn him further. As a result, Yi Ran stepped into a small puddle, getting his white sneakers dirty and almost slipping.

Fortunately, Fang Minghui reacted quickly and caught Yi Ran, preventing him from falling flat on his face.

Yi Ran wanted to complain further, but one icy glance from Fang Minghui silenced him, leaving him sulking quietly.

After a few more minutes of walking, they finally saw the villa ahead. Realizing it wasn’t the thatched hut he had imagined, Yi Ran’s expression improved significantly.

For anyone unaware of the show, the journey up to now might have felt more like filming for *The Metamorphosis*.

Lin Qin and Meng Chao, learning that the guests had arrived, stood in the courtyard to greet them. It wasn’t clear what Meng Chao said, but Lin Qin smiled, his lips curling, his eyes bending into crescents, as if stars were sparkling in them.

From a distance, Fang Minghui saw the scene and couldn’t help but lose himself in it.