After Our Divorce, I Still Wore Your Jacket - Chap 18

At four in the morning, Yuan Ye and Fang Shaoyi went downstairs together. Yuan Ye yawned and asked, “Are you feeling uncomfortable?”

“I don’t feel anything,” Fang Shaoyi looked quite energetic, “but you look like you could use some more sleep in the car.”

“Mm.” Yuan Ye yawned again.

Last night, Yuan Ye gave Fang Shaoyi a massage and he fell asleep on Yuan Ye’s lap. Yuan Ye didn’t have the heart to move him and sat there until midnight, feeling like he was crazy.

Up until now, Chen Ru’s wealthy husband finally had a task that was his strong suit. Previously, no matter what game they played, he always ended up in last place.

However, his relationship with Chen Ru was truly good, and the intimacy and understanding in their eyes couldn’t be acted out. Chen Ru often teased him about needing more exercise, as coming in last place every time didn’t look too good after all.

As soon as he stepped out of the hotel today, he smiled and said to everyone, “I really know how to do this today.”

Yuan Ye greeted him and said with a smile, “I really don’t know how to do this today.”

Chen Ru tugged at her husband and said, “You still dare to say it, don’t show off.”

Today, they were going to go skydiving. The program team had repeatedly confirmed their physical condition, blood pressure, heart, and fear of heights. Only Lin Tian was too scared to play, and the program team would not force her.

It was all voluntary, after all, if something really happened, no one could bear the responsibility. But for the sake of the show, she still had to act a little, and get on the plane, but she wouldn’t actually jump out in the end.

It was still over two hours from the hotel to the skydiving base. The driver and cameraman were in the front, while the director and other staff were on the last bus. Along the way, Yuan Ye leaned against the back seat, eyes opening and closing, and it was unclear if he had really slept.

Yuan Ye had wanted to try skydiving twice before, but both times were cancelled due to weather. Today, although the clouds were thick, it wasn’t raining and wouldn’t affect the flight.

Only Chen Ru’s husband had the license to fly solo, as he was a frequent player with certification. There were eight coaches and several professional aerial photographers. The director let them choose their own coaches, based on who they found most attractive. Chen Ru laughed and directly chose the most handsome one.

In the end, only two were left. Yuan Ye and Fang Shaoyi didn’t really care about it and shook hands with the coach closest to them. They had already signed the agreement before and after a simple training, the actors boarded two separate planes.

Yuan Ye was the last one to board and he would be the first to jump. He said to Fang Shaoyi, “Brother Yi, I’m actually a little nervous.”

Fang Shaoyi looked over and joked with him, “Don’t worry, relax. Brother Ye is the best in the world, there’s no need to be nervous.”

Fang Shaoyi has flown twice for filming purposes. The first time was for a skydiving scene, and the director asked if he could do it himself instead of using a stunt double. Fang Shaoyi said he could, and had to add in some actions and control his expressions. They filmed the scene multiple times, and Fang Shaoyi’s ears were uncomfortable afterwards. He had to rest for several days.

Today, they didn’t have to do much except wait for the instructor to open the parachute.

On the plane, there were only four of them: Yuan Ye and Fang Shaoyi,and Chi Xing and Cheng Xun. The two kids clearly liked them and were willing to work with them on anything. Chi Xing was a big fan and had starry eyes when he looked at the two. There were cameras set up at various angles on the plane to film them before they jumped.

Chi Xing asked Yuan Ye, “Have you done this before, Brother Ye?”

“I’ve hit a blind spot today, I really haven’t done this one before,” said Yuan Ye.

“It’s rare to hear you say you can’t do it,” teased Chi Xing with a grin. “Looks like you’re not a hero today.”

“I wasn’t a hero to begin with,” Yuan Ye replied with a laugh.

Yuan Ye’s hairstyle was similar to that of his coach, a tough-looking man with tattooed arms who was a head taller than Yuan Ye. He wore a tight black short-sleeved shirt that showed off his impressive muscles. The two were bound tightly together by a harness, so tight that Yuan Ye’s movements could brush against his coach’s chest muscles.

He turned to look at Fang Shaoyi, grinning shamelessly. “Brother Yi, this doesn’t count as cheating, right?”

Fang Shaoyi smiled and ignored him.

At 15,000 feet, Yuan Ye jumped out of the plane with his coach strapped to him. In that moment, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret. If only the person strapped to him was Fang Shaoyi, he would have loved to experience this with him.

Freefalling from the clouds was a surreal feeling. Yuan Ye felt weightless, as if he had lost all sense of gravity. He wanted to turn around and see if Fang Shaoyi had jumped yet, but his body was completely out of his control.

All he could hear was the sound of the wind rushing past his ears. He felt as if he was separated from the world, isolated and alone, squeezed through a crack in time and space.

It was a profound and intense feeling of loneliness, as if he was the only person in the world.

Behind his goggles, Yuan Ye closed his eyes and a flood of thoughts and impulses rushed through his mind.

As the parachute opened, the sense of gravity gradually returned, and the experience became less magical. Yuan Ye opened his eyes and looked at the mountains and sea, feeling himself slowly returning to the earth. He smiled at his coach holding the camera, enjoying the thrill of flying around.

The only downside was that his ears were now muffled, as if covered in a layer of film. When Fang Shaoyi arrived and removed his equipment, Yuan Ye greeted him with a smile and whispered something in his ear.

Fang Shaoyi chuckled and raised his voice, saying to him, “You know I can’t hear you clearly when you speak so softly.”

Yuan Ye shouted back, “I only spoke softly because I knew you couldn’t hear well!”

Fang Shaoyi raised an eyebrow and asked him, “What are you afraid of me hearing?”

Yuan Ye smiled and turned around, shouting, “Sweet nothings!”

Coming down from the sky and stepping on the ground felt like returning to the mortal world. But it wasn’t until he returned home after recording the show that he would truly return to the mortal world.

That night, they stayed in a manor that covered several acres of land, with a small pond and a large apple orchard. The terrain here was very interesting, with high and low points that were particularly whimsical. Yuan Ye asked the new male director for a bike, but the director either didn’t hear him or ignored him and walked away.

In the end, Yuan Ye went out to borrow two racing bikes himself. When he saw the uneven streets, he really wanted to ride a bike.

Fang Shaoyi accompanied him, and two shooting teachers followed closely behind.

The group discussed and Yuan Ye suggested, “Why don’t the two teachers take a break? We’re just going to ride for a bit.”

They smiled and shook their head, letting them ride while they captured footage of them driving fast and slow.

Yuan Ye was used to being filmed by now and often acted as if the camera wasn’t there. Fang Shaoyi was dressed in sportswear, looking relaxed and youthful. It seemed like they hadn’t ridden bikes together much, and with Fang Shaoyi’s status, he didn’t have many opportunities to do so since they met.

Fang Shaoyi asked, “What did you say earlier today?”

Yuan Ye laughed mischievously, shaking his head and not answering, “Actually, I didn’t say anything. I just blew air in your ear.”

“Rubbish,” said Fang Shaoyi. He didn’t slow down as he went down the slope, with Yuan Ye following closely behind. Fang Shaoyi didn’t ask him the question that Yuan Ye didn’t want to answer anymore.

They were staying here for one night today, and they had two more days to go in Melbourne before flying back home. Once they flew back, this program would be completely recorded, and there were some small things to do afterwards that Fang Shaoyi probably wouldn’t come back for. Yuan Ye let go of his hand from the handlebar and stretched his arms out recklessly.

Fang Shaoyi asked him, “Didn’t you fly enough during the day?”

Yuan Ye smiled and nodded, “Yeah, it was pretty fun.”

Fang Shaoyi’s eyes had a hint of a smile as he said to him, “I knew you would like it.”

As the show approached its end, something unexpected happened between Yuan Ye and Fang Shaoyi. They seemed to have let go of their guard and started to show a softer side.

At times, they looked like a couple with shared memories, and at other times, they resembled old friends who knew each other well. Their unspoken understanding made them seem like a single entity, impenetrable to outsiders.

Perhaps it was the excitement of flying during the day, but Yuan Ye found it hard to sleep at night. While Fang Shaoyi slept soundly, Yuan Ye put on a jacket and went outside with a bottle of beer. The stars were shining brightly, and Yuan Ye sat by the pond, gazing at the stars and the moon reflected in the water.

Someone sat down next to him and when Yuan Ye turned his head, he was surprised to see it was Cheng Xun. Yuan Ye raised an eyebrow and asked him with a smile, “Can’t sleep either?”

Cheng Xun also smiled and sat down next to Yuan Ye, honestly shaking his head and saying, “I only came out because I saw you here.”

Yuan Ye asked him, “Is there something on your mind?”

Cheng Xun replied, “No, I just wanted to sit with you for a while and chat. We haven’t had much chance to talk since we finished recording today.”

“Sure, let’s chat,” Yuan Ye said, taking a sip of beer and looking at Cheng Xun, gesturing for him to speak.

Yuan Ye knew that Cheng Xun and Chi Xing were very different. One was a fox and the other was a rabbit. Cheng Xun was the little fox. He often thought differently from how he acted, and you could tell that he had more on his mind. But Yuan Ye didn’t dislike him. He wasn’t a bad kid.

“Brother Ye, I’ve read all your books,” Cheng Xun spoke up.

Yuan Ye asked him, “You’re 22 this year, right?”

“Yeah, back then I was only in junior high. They were on the bookshelf at home, I don’t know if my dad or my sister bought them,” Cheng Xun said with a smile. “I’m not good at studying, and I don’t like reading, but I really like that name.”

Yuan Ye raised an eyebrow. “?”

“No, .”

“Mm,” Yuan Ye nodded and chuckled. “Around that time, when I was about your age, what could I have written.”

Cheng Xun could name all of Yuan Ye’s books and he truly enjoyed them. As they continued talking, Cheng Xun suddenly laughed and lightly tugged on his right ear, saying, “I used to admire you sincerely when I was a young boy.”

“Stop,” Yuan Ye looked at him. “What else were you going to say? I am faithful, little brother.”

“It’s not what you think,” Cheng Xun chuckled twice and continued, “It was just pure…admiration? Idolization? I don’t know, my language skills aren’t great, but I just thought the world you created in your writing was so cool, and you seemed so happy. I wanted to live like you and be able to mock people as sharply as you did in the past.”

Yuan Ye laughed, and Cheng Xun continued, “After entering this circle, I didn’t have much chance to live like that. In this circle… just being able to survive is good enough.”

Yuan Ye asked him, “Why did you enter this circle? Do you like singing and acting? Or do you like being a star?”

“I don’t know. I just entered it without much thought. Once I was in, I didn’t particularly like doing anything,” he lowered his head for a moment, then said, “Sometimes I feel a bit tired, the pressure is great, it seems like I can see the end of my life in this circle. After floating around in this circle for many years, and when I get old, I’ll be eliminated.”

Yuan Ye said, “Don’t be so pessimistic. You’re only in your early twenties, and you and Little Chi are still on the same path. That’s pretty good.”

Cheng Xun shook his head and whispered, “You and Brother Shaoyi were so close, but you still separated, didn’t you?”

Her words were direct but honest. Yuan Ye was momentarily stunned, then laughed and patted his shoulder, shaking his head as he said, “Where did you hear that? Brother Shaoyi and I, no matter what, when we were in our early twenties, we never considered these things. I got married to Fang Shaoyi when I was your age. When we were young, we lived life to the fullest, doing what we wanted and taking what we wanted. Don’t think too much about things that will stress you out.”

Actually, Yuan Ye could understand the emotions in Cheng Xun’s heart. Everyone in this circle has it tough. He chatted with Cheng Xun for a while, and it was quite comfortable to chat on a sleepless night.

Cheng Xun also said that he initially joined this program because he heard that Yuan Ye and Fang Shaoyi were coming, and both he and Chi Xing liked them. But he didn’t expect that they would really come.

He asked Yuan Ye why he joined this program.

Yuan Ye chatted for a while but then stopped talking at that.

He looked up and smiled, casually shaking the bottle of beer in his hand and said casually, “Because of love, haha.”