Chapter 2

Though only a month or two had passed in the real world, after years of time travel, Zhong Jin felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

Hmm, no tactile sensation. He'd almost completely forgotten.

He'd been too busy working part-time jobs and then working even harder to become a big star. Who had time for trivial matters with his roommate?

The moment Zhong Jin stepped into the hot pot restaurant, all thoughts of homophobia and straight men vanished from his mind.

Food! Delicious food!

Zhong Jin's fingers trembled slightly as he awkwardly scanned the QR code and rapidly ordered on his phone.

"Second Brother, are we ordering this much? Can we even finish it all?" Dong Ku, who had also scanned the code, stared in horror at the rapidly increasing number of red dots in his cart.

After all, he was the one paying!

"It's been so long since I've had it. I'm really craving it." Zhong Jin's fingers flew as he added a portion of hand-pulled noodles and then agonized over the other items in the cart, trimming them down.

Both Dong Ku and Zhong Jin could handle spicy food, but they settled on a split pot—one spicy, one mild—because they agreed that some dishes were best in the clear broth.

When the hot pot arrived, Zhong Jin nearly reached for the mushrooms in the clear broth before the water even started boiling.

The small crispy pork that arrived with it saved him from his frenzy. He devoured half a plate without blinking, leaving the other half for Dong Ku.

Dong Ku ate two pieces and silently pushed the plate away, watching his roommate transform into a merciless eating machine.

"Second Brother, didn't you have breakfast today?"

"Maybe the interview was so stressful it burned up all my energy."

Zhong Jin thanked Dong Ku for his kindness and continued his ravenous consumption.

Six years. He had been eating nutrient paste for six years!

After Earth's elevation, the soil composition changed. Crops could no longer be grown, and meat had mutated. With no other food sources, everyone had to rely on tech-synthesized nutrient paste. Other planets had food and even developed diverse cuisines, but Zhong Jin could only describe their flavors in four words: "unacceptable."

A hundred times worse than the "Looking at the Stars Pie," with bizarre colors, textures, and tastes that made you deeply feel how tormented the ingredients must have been.

Only after taking that first bite of real food did Zhong Jin truly feel like he had come home.

Zhong Jin ate his hot pot almost reverently, then scrolled through his phone, browsing information on grilled fish and barbecue restaurants, adding those with good reviews to his list.

His phone vibrated twice—a message from Senior Sister. She'd responded to his thank-you after the audition with an emoji and cheerfully accepted his offer of a milk tea.

Returning to the dorm he hadn't seen in ages, Zhong Jin felt a wave of nostalgia as he familiarized himself with his belongings.

Dong Ku, looking at the empty dorm, grumbled, "Where's Fourth Brother? He's been coming and going like a ghost these days."

Zhong Jin didn't respond. He'd already forgotten, even Chen Cheng's face was growing hazy in his memory.

He grabbed clothes and went to the bathroom to shower. While the water ran, he heard Dong Ku say he was going to drama club rehearsal.

Zhong Jin called out an acknowledgment. When he emerged, the dorm was empty. He drew the curtains and lay down on his bed.

He wasn't sleepy, but he needed a quiet space to close his eyes and clear his mind.

After a long while, Zhong Jin rolled over in bed.

Damn it! Why didn't they let me finish my acceptance speech before sending me back?!

The Best Actor! The Interstellar Film Emperor!

His thoughts jumped inexplicably, a jumble of chaotic images flooding his mind. Before he knew it, Zhong Jin had fallen asleep.

At some point in the dead of night, Zhong Jin's eyes snapped open, jolting him awake from his dream.

He heard another breath, shallow and light, not like the leopard's but like a human's.

After half a minute, Zhong Jin's body relaxed. This is Earth, he thought. What else could be beside me but a human?

He fumbled under his pillow for his phone and saw it was only 4:30 AM. He'd have to wait another two hours for breakfast.

He lay back down, still unaccustomed to this quiet idleness.

It was only then that Zhong Jin felt a flicker of loneliness, a sense of starting over from scratch. But the emotion wasn't strong. Perhaps because the otherworld and his homeland had diverged so drastically—even basic gender had changed—he could easily separate that experience from his current reality, without feeling lost.

Completely awake now, he opened Weibo to browse the internet.

Since he'd been constantly searching for director Zou Hongkuo's new drama before his transmigration, the algorithm fed him related content.

The continuous stream of posts mostly mentioned famous male and female stars, and even before the drama began filming, these discussions had already generated considerable buzz.

Zhong Jin also spotted rumors linking Shang Yansi to the project, suggesting his potential involvement. This made him wonder if the earlier rumors about other stars might not be entirely unfounded—after all, where there's smoke, there's fire.

However, Zhong Jin didn't care who the lead actors were; it had nothing to do with him. He was more interested in the script's content and his main scene partners. He wondered how many days it would take to get news about the cast.

After scrolling through the internet for half an hour, Zhong Jin put on his headphones and watched an old movie until breakfast time. He quietly slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash up.

On his way to the cafeteria, Zhong Jin understood the feeling of "absence makes the heart grow fonder." He suddenly found himself craving every breakfast option. After agonizing for several minutes, he finally decided on rice noodle rolls for the day.

On his way back, he encountered many classmates practicing their morning routines. Zhong Jin paused to quietly admire the somewhat chaotic scene for a moment before returning to the dorm with Dong Ku's breakfast.

Dong Ku was startled awake by his entrance, yawned, and got up. His eyes lit up when he saw the breakfast.

Zhong Jin didn't get back into bed. He glanced at the two neatly made beds before sitting down at the desk to read, only closing his book when he realized class was about to start.

Dong Ku looked at the class schedule and said, "We have an acting class this morning and Marxist Philosophy this afternoon."

When they arrived at the small classroom for the acting class, Dong Ku didn't see Shang Yansi or Chen Cheng. He whispered, "Did they take leave?"

Most of their acting department classes were small, with only a dozen or so students per class. The teachers knew everyone, so skipping class would be suicidal.

Zhong Jin nodded. "Probably."

Shang Yansi had stayed at the audition site, likely because his role was quite important. It made sense he wouldn't be back for class today. As for Chen Cheng, Zhong Jin didn't know.

After class, Zhong Jin didn't go to the cafeteria with Dong Ku. He took a taxi to the barbecue restaurant he had been eyeing.

Zhong Jin continued his routine: enjoying good food, practicing his skills, reading, attending classes, and working out. After five days like this, he received a call on the evening of the sixth day.

Soon after, his Senior Sister called him.

"Zhong Jin, did you get the call from the production assistant? Congratulations, you got the role!"

The Senior Sister was even more excited than Zhong Jin himself. After all, she had recommended him, and she knew her judgment was sound.

"Just got it. I'll be joining the crew in a couple of days."

"Right, you're playing the younger version, so your scenes are mostly in the first few episodes. Don't forget to treat me to a meal after we wrap up!"

"Of course! I'd never forget your amazing treat, Senior Sister! See you then!"

Zhong Jin hung up the phone with a relaxed smile. Even though he was confident in his performance, he couldn't completely shake off his anxiety.

He wasn't surprised by the quick turnaround. It meant the drama had been in preparation for a long time, and the main roles were likely finalized before they cast the minor characters.

Humming a tune, Zhong Jin returned to the dorm to share the good news. But when he opened the door, he didn't see Dong Ku. Instead, it was Chen Cheng, a roommate he hadn't seen in a while.

Chen Cheng's appearance was a stark contrast to the currently fashionable pale complexion aesthetic. He had naturally tan skin, thick eyebrows, and large, expressive eyes, giving him a square-jawed, handsome face.

"You're back," Zhong Jin greeted.

"Yeah! I've been looking at some projects lately. A web drama offered me the male lead role. I wasn't sure at first, but the producers were really sincere. They showed me their studio and let me read the script. It's actually pretty good, so I decided to take it," Chen Cheng said, his face beaming with excitement.

Zhong Jin understood his elation perfectly. Apart from Shang Yansi, none of the other roommates had ever landed a proper acting role, only playing parts in school plays.

"If you think it's good, it'll be great. Web dramas are really taking off these days."

Zhong Jin wasn't just offering empty comfort. He had spent the last few days catching up on market trends online and knew that several well-produced web dramas had indeed become hits in recent years. For actors, having a representative work was like having a stepping stone.

Chen Cheng nodded, about to say something else, when he heard the dormitory door creak open again.

Zhong Jin assumed it was Dong Ku returning and didn't turn around until he heard Chen Cheng say, "Brother Shang, are you packing to join the crew?"

"Mm," Shang Yansi replied, his voice as calm and unruffled as his usual demeanor.

Zhong Jin turned and saw Shang Yansi standing by the cabinet, gathering his things.

The white light overhead fell on the young man's striking profile. As if sensing Zhong Jin's gaze, Shang Yansi turned his head, and their eyes met.

Shang Yansi was the epitome of a "bold-featured" type: thick eyebrows, phoenix-shaped eyes, a high-bridged nose, and sharply defined facial features. He was Zhong Jin's type, the kind he could only admire from afar.

Zhong Jin quickly averted his gaze, determined to maintain their unspoken agreement to ignore each other.

"Congratulations," Shang Yansi suddenly said.

Chen Cheng pointed to himself in surprise. "Are you talking to me?"

Shang Yansi replied matter-of-factly, "I can talk to you too."

Chen Cheng: "...Thanks a bunch."

After realizing what was happening, Chen Cheng turned to Zhong Jin and asked, "Brother Zhong, did something good happen to you too?"

Zhong Jin nodded. "Yeah, I passed an audition."

Shang Yansi said, "Your performance that day was really good."

In truth, Shang Yansi had been astonished that day. Zhong Jin had undergone rapid transformation and growth in the time he hadn't been paying attention.

This left him with a fleeting sense of having missed something, a feeling so transient it was hard to grasp.

Zhong Jin smiled faintly. "Thanks."

Shang Yansi fell silent, packing his things into his bag.

Chen Cheng said enviously, "Did you guys audition together? So you'll be in the same crew?"

He wasn't just envious of having a familiar face on set; he was also envious of the roles they'd landed. Though he didn't know the specifics, with Shang Yansi involved, the cast was bound to be top-tier.

"Yeah, but we might not be in the same studio. It seems pretty complex."

Zhong Jin had heard from his Senior Sister that it was a story spanning three generations and a dynasty change.

"We'll be in the same studio," Shang Yansi replied, turning to Zhong Jin again. "You'll be playing most of my scenes."

Zhong Jin looked slightly surprised, then a hint of sympathy.

Poor guy, having to act opposite his former close friend—who happens to be gay—when he's still homophobic. How awkward.

Shang Yansi frowned slightly. "Don't doubt my acting skills."

Zhong Jin replied obediently, "Alright, Gege."

After all, it's not him who's suffering. Gaga_._