I Want To Retire From the Circle but Become Famous by Acting Poorly

That night, Su Chengyang tossed and turned in bed for two hours before falling asleep.

She felt an indescribable excitement, like a primary school student who was going on a spring outing the next day.

Because the play was scheduled for the afternoon, Lin Yu had to go to the company in the morning to handle work and planned to drive over to pick up Su Chengyang in the afternoon.

Su Chengyang woke up at ten o’clock and Xiao Lu said she wanted to go out early to meet her comrades, so she left after having breakfast with Su Chengyang.

After finishing breakfast, Su Chengyang started to agonize over what to wear in the afternoon.

In the end, after much deliberation, she felt that none of her clothes were suitable and regretted not buying clothes often.

At noon, Lin Yu had his assistant Xu bring her a diet meal.

“Chengyang, then I’ll leave first.” Assistant Xu didn’t enter the room, but after handing the things to Su Chengyang, he planned to leave.

“Brother Xu…” Su Chengyang held the things and looked at him hesitantly, with a look of wanting to say something but holding back.

Assistant Xu didn’t understand and asked, “Is there anything else?”

Su Chengyang chuckled and asked, “May I ask, what is Mr. Lin wearing today?”

Assistant Xu looked at her in surprise.

Su Chengyang immediately explained, “I don’t mean anything else, I’m just curious.”

By saying that, her motives seemed to become even less pure.

Fortunately, Assistant Xu didn’t think much of it and said, “Doesn’t President Lin wear suits to work every day?”

“Oh, I see,” Su Chengyang nodded.

“Is there anything else you want to ask?”

“No, thank you, Brother Xu. Please don’t tell Mr. Lin that I asked.”

“Okay.”

After Assistant Xu left, Su Chengyang returned to the living room and ate her diet meal as if chewing wax.

Does Lin Yu really intend to wear a suit to watch the play? Should I cooperate with him a little and dress up a bit more?

But wearing something too extravagant will definitely attract attention. What if the paparazzi take photos of us?

Su Chengyang struggled to eat her meal properly and finally decided to dress more casually, trying not to stand out.

After lunch, Su Chengyang returned to her room to change clothes. She chose a black hoodie and dark jeans, tied her hair into a ponytail, and put on light makeup. Then she anxiously waited for Lin Yu to arrive at home.

Around half-past one, Lin Yu rang the doorbell.

At the moment the doorbell rang, Su Chengyang’s heart skipped a beat. She stood up from the sofa and took two clumsy steps, stumbling over her own hands and feet, as she hurried towards the door. After realizing her foolishness, she quickly composed herself and hastily opened the door.

Lin Yu was wearing a blue suit, standing in the sunlight, looking at her.

“Brother Lin…” Su Chengyang called out.

Lin Yu nodded at her and asked, “Are you ready to go?”

Su Chengyang nodded, “Yes.”

“Let’s go.”

“Oh.”

Su Chengyang returned to the living room and picked up her bag, then followed Lin Yu and left.

Lin Yu glanced at her and smiled faintly, speaking gently, “Did you have a full meal at noon? I prepared some fruits and biscuits for you.”

Su Chengyang nodded, “I’m full.”

“Then you can eat when you get hungry.”

Instead of driving, Lin Yu walked straight in a direction with Su Chengyang. Along the way, he tried to find topics to chat with her. Although they were not meaningful topics, it didn’t make Su Chengyang feel awkward.

As Su Chengyang recalled, it seemed like the first time she and Lin Yu didn’t talk about work-related matters. The atmosphere was much better than she had imagined. She thought she would be so nervous that she couldn’t speak in front of Lin Yu.

“If you want to take the college entrance exam next year, have you considered which university to choose?”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “My foundation is not strong. Even if I have a year to review, I probably won’t be able to meet the requirements for a bachelor’s degree.”

Lin Yu smiled and said, “You can come to me, or find Lu Yin for review. Although I didn’t study in China, I should be able to teach you subjects other than Mandarin.”

When he mentioned “or find Lu Yin for review,” he paused, giving Su Chengyang the impression that he didn’t initially plan to include Xiao Lu.

Su Chengyang didn’t dwell on it and shook her head, saying, “You’re all very busy. There’s no need to waste time on me.”

Lin Yu frowned and said, “Chengyang, even if you eventually choose to terminate your contract with the company, you’re still a friend to me and Lu Yin. Helping a friend with their studies is not a waste of time.”

Su Chengyang was taken aback. In Lin Yu’s heart, were they friends?

Friends…

In an instant, Su Chengyang felt confused. She wasn’t sure what emotions she felt when she heard those two words, but she believed she should be happy.

Being able to be friends with Lin Yu, she should feel fortunate.

However, it seemed that people were easily greedy. After becoming friends, she started thinking about whether this relationship could progress further.

一No, it can’t.

In the blink of an eye, Su Chengyang gave herself a negative answer in her heart.

Su Chengyang smiled and brushed off the topic, after chatting for a while, Su Chengyang asked, “Brother Lin, have you ever liked anyone?”

As she asked this question, Su Chengyang felt very nervous inside, but due to the professionalism of an actor, there was no trace of nervousness on her face.

Lin Yu was caught off guard by this question. After a few seconds of hesitation, he responded as usual, not answering Su Chengyang’s question directly, but instead asked, “Why do you ask?”

Su Chengyang lowered her head, looking at her own toes, and said, “Just curious. I heard from Xiao Lu that you once rejected Mary. I think she is a very outstanding person.”

Actually, Su Chengyang felt that she had crossed a boundary with her questions. Maybe it was because she had been chatting with Lin Yu all the way, discussing seemingly meaningless topics. And when she heard him say that he saw her as a friend, Su Chengyang gathered her courage and asked, even though she knew Lin Yu might not answer her question.

But… he shouldn’t be angry, right?

Lin Yu looked at her with a complicated expression and said, “Mary is indeed excellent, and I can consider her as a friend, but not as a lover.”

“Why?” Su Chengyang asked curiously.

Lin Yu smiled and said, “I’m not sure, but when I was getting to know her, my only thought was to make her even more beautiful.”

Su Chengyang didn’t quite grasp the meaning of his words.

Lin Yu turned his head slightly, looking at Su Chengyang’s hazy expression. After a few seconds of pause, he said, “But you’re different.”

Su Chengyang looked at him perplexedly, and Lin Yu happened to be looking at her too.

“I’m different?” Su Chengyang repeated uncertainly.

“En,” Lin Yu nodded confidently, though he had no intention of making his feelings clear at this moment.

“What’s different?” Su Chengyang asked blankly.

“You’re different from Mary in every way. She can be replaced, but you can’t.”

Su Chengyang listened in a daze and wanted to ask him what he meant. By the time she gathered the courage to do so, Lin Yu had already led her outside a villa’s garden.

“We’re here,” Lin Yu said.

Su Chengyang hadn’t even processed the situation when her attention was diverted. She looked at the garden in confusion and asked, “Where is this?”

“My home.”

“Why are we here?”

Lin Yu replied, “To get the car and change clothes. I can’t go see Mr. Song’s play wearing a suit. It’s not appropriate.”

“Oh,” Su Chengyang nodded, her attention completely shifted.

When she snapped out of her daze and wanted to ask about the meaning of that sentence, Lin Yu seemed unwilling to bring it up again, and Su Chengyang didn’t feel comfortable asking further.

In short, what Lin Yu should say is “actress Su Chengyang,” not the Su Chengyang in real life.

The two of them entered, and Lin Yu opened the garden gate. Su Chengyang followed him inside. The garden was filled with blooming flowers of various kinds, but Su Chengyang didn’t recognize many of the species.

“There are many types of flowers here. You can come and pick them yourself if you like. Or if you find it troublesome, you can let me know, and I’ll help you pick them,” Lin Yu said with a smile.

“Got it,” Su Chengyang replied, but in truth, although she found the flowers beautiful, she didn’t know much about them.

They walked up to the front door of the villa, and Lin Yu pushed it open, gesturing for her to go in first.

Su Chengyang entered the house, and the decoration inside the villa was very simple, with a Nordic style, but it didn’t look like someone had lived there much.

Lin Yu explained, “I’m the only one living here.”

He had only returned from abroad six months ago, and he usually only came back here at night. He rarely used the kitchen, and the housekeeper and gardener would come every other day.

“Have a seat for now. I’ll go upstairs and change clothes. It’ll take five minutes,” Lin Yu said as he poured her a glass of water and instructed her.

“Okay,” Su Chengyang sat down on the sofa and nodded.

Lin Yu went upstairs, Su Chengyang took a few sips of water, looked around, and noticed there was no sign of life in the living room. It was as if nobody had ever lived there. Lin Yu must really enjoy having his own space, right?

Shortly after, Lin Yu came downstairs after changing clothes. He was wearing a black windbreaker on top, paired with an off-white shirt, and light-colored jeans. He had a pair of black ankle boots on his feet. He descended the spiral staircase leisurely, and at first glance, Su Chengyang thought he looked like an international supermodel from television.

She initially thought Lin Yu would stand out if he wore a suit to the theater, but now she believed he would be even more eye-catching in casual attire.

Lin Yu’s black hair was slightly curled and lazily fell on his forehead, making his facial features more three-dimensional.

Su Chengyang stared at him a little longer and quickly averted her gaze when he noticed.

Lin Yu walked briskly towards her and handed her a beige duckbill cap, saying, “I bought this a couple of days ago. It should suit you well.”

Su Chengyang was momentarily stunned and looked up at him.

Lin Yu smiled and said, “Chengyang, if you go out like this, you’ll be recognized instantly.”

Su Chengyang felt embarrassed. During the day, she was busy thinking about what she should wear and forgot that she was a public figure. Going out would easily attract attention.

“Thank you.”

Su Chengyang whispered her thanks as she took the hat from his hand and put it on her head.

Su Chengyang tied her hair in a ponytail, and it was not convenient to wear the hat. She had to thread the ponytail out of the hole in the hat. After struggling for a while, she ended up making her hair messier. In the end, she stomped her foot in frustration.

Lin Yu was still watching in front of her! She felt extremely embarrassed.

Lin Yu laughed, grabbed her increasingly rough hands, and pressed his warm fingertips gently against her wrist. It was not forceful, but a gentle touch against her side.

Having known each other for so long, Su Chengyang and Lin Yu rarely had physical contact. When his fingers touched Su Chengyang, her restless heart suddenly calmed down, as if it focused solely on the skin of her wrist.

“I’ll help you,” Lin Yu’s voice came from behind. He took Su Chengyang’s hat off, then tidied her messy hair. He threaded the ponytail through the hole in the hat and fastened it on top of her head. Afterwards, he also adjusted her temple hair.

His movements were smooth and familiar, as if he had done this many times before.

Su Chengyang immersed herself in his gentle actions, her mind in a daze. She asked, “Brother Lin, have you helped others in this way before?”

Lin Yu nodded without denial, “Of course.”

“Who?” Su Chengyang lowered her head, her tone indescribable.

Lin Yu flicked her hair end and then put his hand down, saying, “On my mother’s side, there is a large family. Besides Lu Yin, I have two younger cousins who are not even ten years old.”

“…”

Su Chengyang’s mood became complex in an instant.

“They are just like you. If they can’t tie their hair properly, they will get upset and wish they could pull it all out.”

“Oh…”

Su Chengyang didn’t want to admit it, but for a moment, she did feel a twinge of jealousy towards Lin Yu’s two cousins…

Although she felt she had no right to, she just… couldn’t quite control herself.

Su Chengyang silently apologized in her heart.

Lin Yu brought Su Chengyang to the entrance of the garage, went inside to start the car, and soon emerged from the underground garage in a matte black Bentley.

He parked the car in front of Su Chengyang, got out of the driver’s seat, and let Su Chengyang sit in the passenger seat.

The West Second Theater was nearly a two-hour drive away from where they lived. Su Chengyang took out her phone and started chatting with Han Songxue and the others in the group.

Han Songxue:【@Su Chengyang, did you come with Xiao Lu? That’s perfect! I want to learn some self-defense techniques from her, hahaha.】

Su Chengyang:【No, she went to meet her comrades.】

Han Songxue:【You’re alone? Does your family’s Manager Lin trust you to come to watch the play alone?】

Su Chengyang:【…】

【No, Manager Lin is with me.】

Han Songxue:【???】

【Is he next to you now?】

Su Chengyang glanced at Lin Yu, who was focused on driving. Lin Yu noticed her gaze and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “It’s nothing.”

Lin Yu said, “I prepared some snacks for you in the back row. Have some if you’re hungry.”

“Thank you.”

Su Chengyang thanked him and lowered her head to continue chatting.

Su Chengyang:【He’s driving.】

Han Songxue sent an envious emoji:【It’s great to have a handsome guy accompany you to watch a play. I can’t even give away my other ticket.】

Song Mingan:【Be clear, your inability to give it away is purely a problem with your character, it has nothing to do with my play.】

Han Songxue:【That’s impossible. Surely it’s because no one wants to watch your play.】

The two of them had a disagreement in a few words and started arguing in the group, but Song Mingan soon became busy and stopped talking, and the group became quiet.

Jiang Shanqi and the others were on their way to West Second Theater, and Qin You was still in class. When she arrived, the play should have already started.

The car stopped at the intersection with the traffic lights. Lin Yu turned his head and looked at her. Su Chengyang was browsing Weibo with a smile on her face.

“You’ve been looking at your phone for so long. Aren’t your eyes tired?” Lin Yu said.

Su Chengyang was taken aback and looked up, confused. “No, not at all.”

“Aren’t we having dinner tonight? Take a break.”

“Oh.”

Su Chengyang put down her phone honestly, but she woke up late in the morning and didn’t feel sleepy at all.

The traffic light at the intersection turned green, and Lin Yu restarted the car.

Su Chengyang rolled down the car window a bit, took a breath, and the noise from outside rushed into the quiet car compartment. After a moment, Lin Yu rolled up the open window again.

“Don’t you want to rest?” Lin Yu asked.

“Well, I woke up late in the morning.”

“Then can we chat for a while?”

Su Chengyang nodded, “Sure.”

“You asked me before if I had ever liked someone, and I don’t think I directly answered you,” Lin Yu suddenly said.

Su Chengyang didn’t expect him to bring up this question at a time like this, and her heart, which had just calmed down, started to race again.

“En,” Su Chengyang responded in a muffled voice.

Lin Yu said, “No, I haven’t encountered anyone before who would make me want to turn her into my collection.”

“Collection?” Su Chengyang looked at him suspiciously.

Lin Yu smiled and said, “Take Mary, for example. I want to shape her into a perfect work of art and present it to the world so that everyone can see her excellence. For the person I like, I also hope she can become a work of art, and I want the whole world to see her excellence too. But in the end, I hope she not only belongs to herself but also belongs to me, becoming my collection.”

Su Chengyang listened with some confusion. She felt like she understood it, and at the same time, she felt like she didn’t. Lin Yu compared liking someone to creating a romantic artwork. She only understood liking and not liking, without fully grasping the difference between “work of art” and “collection.”

It seemed that Lin Yu didn’t expect her to fully understand either and continued, “But in the end, I hope she can be herself.”

Su Chengyang was bewildered by his words and could only come to one conclusion, “Brother Lin, do you have someone you like? Have you ever met a girl you wanted to turn into your collection?”

Lin Yu nodded, “Yes.”

Upon hearing his response, Su Chengyang miraculously discovered that she didn’t feel jealous of the girl he liked. It may be because Lin Yu described her in such a beautiful way, or perhaps she felt that someone who could be liked by such an outstanding person like Lin Yu must also be an exceptional individual.

Realizing that she didn’t feel jealous of the girl he liked, Su Chengyang felt a sense of relief and happiness. She wasn’t that selfish yet. She raised her small face with a smiling expression and sincerely wished, “Brother Lin, you will definitely grow old together with her!”

Lin Yu seemed absent-minded for a moment but then smiled and said, “I haven’t won her over yet.”

Su Chengyang shook her head, “You’re such an outstanding person. You will surely win her over.”

Lin Yu chuckled, “But she is also an outstanding person, and many people like her.”

Su Chengyang thought he didn’t believe in himself and hurriedly said, “It’s okay! You work hard, and you will definitely win over sister-in-law. And if you can’t do it, I and Xiao Lu will help you.”

Lin Yu wanted to laugh upon hearing this, but he felt it was not the right time, although he couldn’t help but laugh eventually.

“You will help me?”

“Yeah.”

This response somehow tickled Lin Yu’s funny bone, and he suppressed his laughter.

“How do you plan to help me?”

Su Chengyang felt a little embarrassed. As someone who had never been in a relationship, how could she give him advice?

“I’ll support you mentally.” She thought for a moment and added in a joking tone, “And Xiao Lu too! If sister-in-law doesn’t agree, let Xiao Lu bring her back. If she doesn’t like you, it’s definitely because she doesn’t understand you. Once she gets to know you, she will like you.”

A broader smile formed on Lin Yu’s face as he asked, “Do you think everyone who knows me will like me?”

Su Chengyang nodded honestly, as that was indeed her belief.

The car stopped again at a traffic light intersection. Lin Yu turned his head, fixed his gaze on her, and said, “Isn’t that necessarily true? We’ve known each other for so long, and you should understand me by now. But you haven’t developed any feelings for me, have you?”