Chapter Summaries

Chu Ci realized that he liked Ye Qingzhou and wondered when Ye Qingzhou had fallen for him, while Ye Qingzhou feared that Chu Ci would hate him. The story then shifted to Wu Zhou’s memories of Chu Ci’s kindness and the moment his feelings began to change.

• Chu Ci recalled the moments that had drawn him to Ye Qingzhou and concluded that he probably loved him.
• Ye Qingzhou mistook Chu Ci’s silence for rejection and asked him not to hate him.
• Ye Qingzhou admitted that Chu Ci hating him was what he feared most.
• Wu Zhou remembered how Chu Ci had cared for him when he first followed him to the military camp.
• As he grew older, Wu Zhou realized he felt no attraction to the women around him.
• After seeing Chu Ci bathing, Wu Zhou had a dream about him and woke up flustered.

Ye Qingzhou confessed his love to Chu Ci, fearing that Chu Ci would reject or despise him. Chu Ci assured him that he liked him too, and sealed their mutual feelings with a kiss.

• Ye Qingzhou confessed that he loved Chu Ci and asked him not to hate him for it.
• Chu Ci told Ye Qingzhou that he would not hate him for loving him and that affection was not limited by external factors.
• When Ye Qingzhou assumed Chu Ci did not like him, Chu Ci admitted that he did.
• Chu Ci told Ye Qingzhou, "Ye Qingzhou, I like you," and explained that he liked him for who he was.
• When Ye Qingzhou asked Chu Ci to pinch him to prove he was not dreaming, Chu Ci kissed him instead.

Ye Qingzhou eagerly agreed to Chu Ci’s teasing request to go public, but Chu Ci stopped him and said they should wait until the timing was right. They took a real photo together to use when they eventually announced their relationship.

• Chu Ci teased Ye Qingzhou by asking him to go public with their relationship, and Ye Qingzhou immediately drafted a Weibo post.
• Chu Ci took Ye Qingzhou’s phone and discovered that the photo he planned to post was an edited image saved from their First Kiss CP fan community.
• Ye Qingzhou admitted he had saved many pictures of the two of them and followed fans from the CP community on an alternate account.
• Chu Ci took a real photo of himself and Ye Qingzhou holding hands and said they could use it when they went public someday.
• Chu Ci rejected Ye Qingzhou’s suggestion to announce their relationship immediately, explaining that it could affect Ye Qingzhou’s career.

Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou reaffirmed their relationship, with Chu Ci asking Ye Qingzhou to keep their photo for a future announcement. Chu Ci’s increasingly popular livestreams brought him more attention, and filming for "Reign" finally began.

• Chu Ci explained that he wanted their relationship to be seen as an equal match rather than as a career advantage for him, and Ye Qingzhou accepted his request to wait before going public.
• Chu Ci kissed Ye Qingzhou, then asked him to keep their photo safe for when they announced their relationship.
• Ye Qingzhou gave Chu Ci the jasmine bouquet, and the two shared a warm farewell before Chu Ci went home.
• Chu Ci expanded his livestreams by connecting with other celebrities and revealing surprising entertainment-industry gossip, bringing his name onto Weibo’s trending searches.
• Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou reached the day filming began for "Reign".

Chu Ci met Chen Wan on the Reign set, where she thanked him for advice that had helped her succeed on a dating variety show. When Chen Wan looked at him with affection, Chu Ci admitted he had only suggested the show to end their livestream call.

• Chu Ci arrived on the Reign set with Ye Qingzhou, who was called away by the director, and Chen Wan greeted him.
• Chen Wan explained that she was playing one of Xiao Ziheng’s deathsworn guards and praised Chu Ci’s chance to attract fans with the role.
• Chen Wan recited details about Chu Ci’s past roles and preferences, which made him wonder why she had researched him so thoroughly.
• Chen Wan told Chu Ci that his advice led her to join Fall in Love Today, gain endorsements, and receive kinder comments from netizens.
• Chen Wan gazed at Chu Ci affectionately, and he told her he had made up the dating-show suggestion to end their livestream call.

Chu Ci tried to discourage Chen Wan and Ji Sisi’s interest in him, but both women remained drawn to him. After reflecting on his relationship with Ye Qingzhou and the limits of his Mind Reading skill, Chu Ci ran into Ye Qingzhou backstage.

• Chen Wan took Chu Ci’s suggestion that she join a dating show as a sign of consideration and grew more interested in him.
• Chu Ci told Chen Wan he liked men, but she praised his openness before staff called her away.
• Ji Sisi asked Chu Ci about singing and his hobbies, and Chu Ci made an excuse to leave when he sensed her interest in him.
• Chu Ci considered telling Chen Wan that he already liked someone and wondered why Mind Reading did not work when he met Ye Qingzhou’s eyes.
• Ye Qingzhou found Chu Ci in an empty corner and asked why he was hanging around there.

Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou arrived at the Reign set, where Chu Ci learned that Ji Sisi and Zhou Jin were also in the cast. Ye Qingzhou brought Chu Ci to his private lounge after Chu Ci revealed that Ji Sisi liked him, and Chu Ci teased Ye Qingzhou about his motives for inviting him there.

• Ye Qingzhou and Chu Ci joined the cast, where they found Ji Sisi, Chen Wan, and Zhou Jin, who played the second prince, Xiao Ziyun.
• Ji Sisi asked after Chu Ci's health, and Ye Qingzhou took him aside under the pretense of discussing the script.
• Chu Ci told Ye Qingzhou that Ji Sisi liked him, and Ye Qingzhou remembered how popular Chu Ci had been with girls in their former world.
• Ye Qingzhou suggested Chu Ci stay in his private lounge whenever he was not filming so he could read without being disturbed.
• Chu Ci teased Ye Qingzhou by asking whether he had invited him to the lounge for the production or for selfish reasons.

Chu Ci teased Ye Qingzhou about his jealousy and accepted his offer to stay in his lounge before filming began on “Reign.” During the first two days on set, Chu Ci watched Ye Qingzhou perform as Xiao Zisu and reflected on the character’s first major political maneuver.

• Chu Ci told Ye Qingzhou that Ji Sisi had never said she liked him, and Ye Qingzhou still suggested Chu Ci stay in his lounge.
• Chu Ci jokingly asked if Ye Qingzhou wanted to hide his beauty away, and Ye Qingzhou asked for permission before Chu Ci agreed.
• The director welcomed the cast and crew of “Reign,” and the production officially began after an opening meal.
• Chu Ci spent the first two days watching Ye Qingzhou film and admired his portrayal of Xiao Zisu.
• Chu Ci recalled how Xiao Zisu used the chancellor’s imprisonment and the eldest prince’s marriage to drive a wedge between them, discredit the second prince, and win the chancellor’s support.

Chu Ci continued improving his acting on the Reign set while growing closer to Ye Qingzhou, then told Chen Wan that he was already with someone and rejected her feelings. Chen Wan left heartbroken, and Chu Ci comforted her by saying she would find someone better.

• The chapter explained that Xiao Zisu's Taoist associate used an alleged immortal's words to praise the emperor and suggest Xiao Zisu should inherit the throne, earning Xiao Zisu the emperor's attention.
• The chapter recounted that Xiao Ziheng and Xiao Zisu's first intimate encounter led Xiao Ziheng to enter Xiao Zisu's service.
• Chu Ci worked hard on his script and acting, sought guidance from directors and senior actors, and improved until he performed nearly all his scenes in one take.
• Chen Wan visited Chu Ci with mandarins, and he told her that he was already together with the person he liked.
• Chen Wan feared Chu Ci hated her, but he returned her mandarins and gently rejected her; she ate one through her tears and called it the sourest mandarin she had tasted.

Chu Ci told Chen Wan that he loved Ye Qingzhou, and Chen Wan realized the initials of Ye Qingzhou's agency, CH, might refer to Chu Ci. Chu Ci was left wondering how Ye Qingzhou could have named the agency after him before they met, and asked Chen Wan to keep their relationship secret.

• Chen Wan asked Chu Ci what the person he liked was like, and Chu Ci described Ye Qingzhou as the best person he had ever met.
• Chen Wan guessed that Chu Ci liked Ye Qingzhou and speculated that CH was named after Chu Ci, but Chu Ci said they had known each other for only a little over half a year.
• Chen Wan wondered whether Ye Qingzhou had chosen Chu Ci as a substitute, but Chu Ci insisted Ye Qingzhou loved him for himself and wondered what secrets Ye Qingzhou was keeping.
• Chu Ci asked Chen Wan to keep their relationship secret and clarified that he loved Ye Qingzhou for who he was, regardless of his status or wealth.

Chu Ci reconsidered Ye Qingzhou’s past actions and wondered whether Ye Qingzhou had liked him before they met on the dating show. When Chu Ci asked if Ye Qingzhou had agreed to intimate scenes on the show because of him, Ye Qingzhou admitted that he had.

• After Chen Wan left, Chu Ci reconsidered Ye Qingzhou’s choices on Let's Fall in Love and suspected Ye Qingzhou had joined the show because of him.
• Chu Ci wondered whether Ye Qingzhou had come from the interstellar world and had liked him before filming, but he rejected the idea as unlikely.
• Ye Qingzhou returned from filming, and Chu Ci learned that they would film an intimate scene together.
• Chu Ci asked why Ye Qingzhou had agreed to intimate scenes despite usually refusing them, and Ye Qingzhou said it was because Chu Ci was his scene partner.
• Chu Ci asked whether Ye Qingzhou had agreed to the candy-wrapper kiss task because of him, and Ye Qingzhou eventually answered yes.

Ye Qingzhou confessed that he had loved Chu Ci since their first meeting, and Chu Ci returned his love before Ye Qingzhou kissed his forehead. They then filmed their second scene together as Xiao Zisu and Xiao Ziheng, leaving the director confident that their appearances suited the characters in Reign.

• Ye Qingzhou told Chu Ci that he had fallen for him at first sight and had wanted to spend his life with him since their first meeting.
• Chu Ci accepted Ye Qingzhou's secrets and told him that he loved him, and Ye Qingzhou kissed his forehead reverently.
• Ye Qingzhou was called back to filming, and he and Chu Ci prepared for their second scene together as Xiao Zisu and Xiao Ziheng.
• The director watched Ye Qingzhou in red as Xiao Zisu and Chu Ci in white as Xiao Ziheng and felt they matched the novel's characters perfectly.

Xiao Zisu joined Xiao Ziheng in the hot spring and revealed he wanted to discuss the heir apparent. Xiao Ziheng teased him about how he addressed him, then said the succession had nothing to do with him.

• Xiao Zisu entered the hot spring after Xiao Ziheng invited him to soak together.
• Xiao Zisu asked when Xiao Ziheng had learned about his efforts to win over the military officers, and Xiao Ziheng said it was not long ago.
• Xiao Ziheng made Xiao Zisu repeat “Third Brother” until his tone sounded affectionate.
• Xiao Zisu asked Xiao Ziheng what he thought of the heir apparent, and Xiao Ziheng replied that it had nothing to do with him.

Xiao Zisu explained that he wanted to become crown prince to protect the suffering common people and offered to support Xiao Ziheng if he would accept the position instead. Xiao Ziheng refused and revealed that he was interested in Xiao Zisu, leaving Xiao Zisu stunned.

• Xiao Zisu argued that the eldest and second princes would make disastrous rulers and described the heavy taxes and starvation afflicting the common people.
• Xiao Zisu told Xiao Ziheng that he wanted to become crown prince to help the people and offered to support Xiao Ziheng if he wanted the position.
• Xiao Ziheng refused, citing his poor health and lack of interest in becoming crown prince, money, power, beauties, or noble titles.
• Xiao Ziheng drew Xiao Zisu close and whispered that he was interested in him.
• Xiao Zisu's pupils contracted as he wondered if he had heard Xiao Ziheng correctly.

Xiao Zisu asked Xiao Ziheng to help him, and Xiao Ziheng agreed without asking for anything in return. Their teasing conversation ended with Xiao Zisu covering Xiao Ziheng’s mouth, while the guards mistook their cooperation for a bargain over Xiao Ziheng’s freedom.

• Xiao Ziheng told Xiao Zisu he would help him, then teased him by barking after Xiao Zisu called him a puppy if he broke his word.
• Xiao Ziheng laughed, and the captain of the guards decided their alliance could change the imperial palace’s fortunes.
• Xiao Zisu tried to threaten Xiao Ziheng but could not think of anything effective, so he covered Xiao Ziheng’s mouth with his fingers.
• Xiao Ziheng noticed the faint scent of bamboo on Xiao Zisu as they stood close together.

After Xiao Ziheng pretended to drown in the hot spring, Xiao Zisu’s tears moved him to sincerely support Xiao Zisu’s rise to the throne. Years later, Xiao Ziheng admitted to an old acquaintance that love had inspired him, though he kept his feelings for Xiao Zisu secret.

• Xiao Zisu panicked when Xiao Ziheng failed to respond in the hot spring and called for an imperial physician.
• Xiao Zisu cried and begged Xiao Ziheng to wake, unaware that Xiao Ziheng was pretending to be unconscious.
• Xiao Ziheng woke and embraced Xiao Zisu, then resolved to help him ascend the throne because Xiao Zisu had cried for him.
• Years later, after Xiao Zisu had become emperor and Xiao Ziheng had retired, Xiao Ziheng told an old acquaintance that love had moved him to support Xiao Zisu.
• Xiao Ziheng kept his love for Xiao Zisu secret, believing it could not be brought into the light.

Chu Ci finished filming Reign, earned the crew’s approval, and celebrated the wrap with a livestream. As fans asked about Ye Qingzhou, Chu Ci recalled his old friend Wu Zhou and their life in the interstellar world.

• Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou worked smoothly together on Reign, and the director praised Chu Ci’s portrayal of Xiao Ziheng.
• After more than six months of filming, Chu Ci took a group photo with the cast and crew and posted it on Weibo.
• Chu Ci livestreamed before the wrap dinner, where fans praised his appearance and asked whether Ye Qingzhou was with him.
• Chu Ci thought of Wu Zhou and worried about how his stubborn old friend might react to hearing that Chu Ci had died.
• Chu Ci confirmed that he was at the crew’s wrap dinner while fans reminisced about his and Ye Qingzhou’s appearances on Let’s Fall in Love.

Chu Ci livestreamed while waiting for Ye Qingzhou, who returned with warm clothes and a matching scarf for him. After they ended the stream and shared a tender moment, they watched and photographed their first snowfall together.

• Chu Ci told his livestream viewers that he was waiting for Ye Qingzhou and would end the stream when he returned.
• Ye Qingzhou brought Chu Ci a coat and a white scarf from their matching set, and the viewers guessed they were couple scarves.
• Ye Qingzhou appeared on camera beside Chu Ci, said goodbye to the viewers, and rested his face against Chu Ci’s shoulder.
• After Chu Ci ended the stream, Ye Qingzhou kissed his neck and pointed out that it had started snowing.
• Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou took photos together as they watched their first snowfall as a couple.

During their vacation, Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou prayed for each other at a temple and hung a love lock together. A monk told them their bond had lasted across three lifetimes, leaving Chu Ci curious while Ye Qingzhou urged him to move on.

• Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou visited a mountain temple and each prayed for the other's safety.
• Chu Ci asked whether Ye Qingzhou believed in this life and the next, and Ye Qingzhou returned the question, showing that he trusted Chu Ci's belief.
• Chu Ci suggested hanging a love lock, and Ye Qingzhou happily agreed.
• Chu Ci wrote their names on red slips, and Ye Qingzhou carefully threaded them onto a lock.
• The monk said Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou had known each other in a previous life and shared a bond spanning at least three lifetimes, with this being the second.
• Ye Qingzhou took Chu Ci's hand and asked him to hang the lock, so Chu Ci followed while holding back his questions.

After hanging a love lock with Ye Qingzhou, Chu Ci experienced visions of Wu Zhou grieving over his death and preserving his corpse. The visions left Chu Ci confronting the possibility that Wu Zhou’s feelings for him had gone beyond those of a disciple.

• Chu Ci and Ye Qingzhou dismissed the monk’s claims about their romantic destiny and hung a love lock on the marriage tree.
• As the lock was hung, Chu Ci saw Wu Zhou learn of Chu Ci’s death and collapse in grief.
• Chu Ci witnessed Wu Zhou grow frail from refusing food and visit Chu Ci’s body, which he had preserved in a coffin of thousand-year-old ice.
• Wu Zhou kissed Chu Ci’s corpse on the hand and forehead, then kissed his face and lips, shocking Chu Ci.
• Ye Qingzhou supported the distressed Chu Ci, whose breathing steadied as he tried to explain Wu Zhou’s actions as grief.