Dating the Heartthrob Superstar-Chapter 47: Gaining Skills

Chapter 47: Gaining Skills

The internet buzzed with various twists and turns over Zhou Linlin’s live-streaming incident, becoming a significant event.

Meanwhile, the mountain villa seemed detached from the chaos of the world. Everyone was gathered around for a barbecue, enjoying a harmonious atmosphere together.

The guests this time were all young folks, bringing a burst of youthful energy to the villa. They gathered and laughed, playing seemingly childish games.

It was like friends coming together, oblivious to the world’s troubles, innocent and carefree.

Lin Qin and Meng Chao felt as though they’d become several years younger and could seamlessly blend in with these young guests. Even though one was 25 and the other 28, both were still in their prime.

When the younger guests grew tired of playing, they sat together and chatted about anything and everything.

They talked about how they’d entered this circle, why they continued to stay in it, the challenges they faced while portraying specific roles, and even about being vilified or mocked online for certain incidents.

The sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy flavors of life—all these youthful individuals had already experienced at such a young age. Yet as they recounted these events, the four who had recently finished college entrance exams spoke with smiles on their faces.

They all expressed gratitude for the experiences that helped them grow.

They adored this industry—although uncertain about what their futures held, at this moment, they were deeply in love with it.

This was their original passion.

And their wish was to preserve this passion for as long as possible.

The youthful guests were bursting with energy, and Lin Qin and Meng Chao accompanied them until one or two o’clock in the morning before heading to bed.

After returning to his room, Lin Qin found himself unable to sleep. His heart was weighed down, making him toss and turn.

The conversations tonight with the guests had stirred Lin Qin deeply. Among them, Jiang He was following the path of being an action actor—sent to the Shaolin Temple at the age of three to learn martial arts, he stayed there until he was ten. Later, he took on child roles in a series of action films.

Back in the heyday of action films, martial arts actors with Shaolin Temple training like Jiang He were highly sought after. Nowadays, however, special effects and stunt doubles dominate the industry, and the shrinking market for action films has diminished the importance of authentic martial arts actors.

Hiring an action actor without good looks seems less valuable than casting a handsome actor with built-in popularity.

In such a market environment, Jiang He found it increasingly difficult to secure roles—at one point, he went over a year without any acting jobs.

Yet as Jiang He expressed, he loved the profession and cherished the feeling of being on camera. At the age of fifteen, he decided to return to school and start from scratch, hoping to one day enter film academy, receive professional training, expand his acting repertoire, and no longer limit himself to action roles.

Compared to Jiang He’s rough journey, Zhao Qin’s path seemed much smoother.

She had good looks and came from a family of stars—her parents were both renowned veteran actors. She starred in hit dramas on national broadcasters at a young age, earning her the title of "nation’s daughter" and enjoying a wealth of resources.

But what appeared to be a smooth life was far from truly effortless.

Growing up in film crews while her parents were immersed in their careers, Zhao Qin often lacked proper parental care. The housekeeper assigned to look after her only superficially fulfilled duties; when her parents were away, the housekeeper would become lazy. By the time she was five, Zhao Qin learned to wash clothes on her own and even stood on a small stool by the stove to cook meals.

Zhao Qin’s initial love for acting wasn’t due to its appeal or enjoyment but because her young self believed that going to act meant she’d be cared for and could finally have a warm meal.

Behind the glamour lay an untold bitterness no one noticed.

Wu Zhenzhen and He Chuansong were no different—despite their outward displays of success, each carried their own struggles and stories. He Chuansong accidentally splashed water on a young trending idol during filming, leading to relentless online harassment from the idol’s fans for over a month. Every time he opened his microblog, he faced messages demanding him to leave the entertainment industry.

Wu Zhenzhen’s experience was even more absurd. Due to a single promotional still, which featured her alongside a married male actor who coincidentally faced allegations of infidelity that month, the media fabricated stories accusing Wu Zhenzhen of being a home-wrecking mistress. Her microblog comment section was soon flooded with toxic remarks.

That year, Wu Zhenzhen was only sixteen. It was also the year she disappeared from the public eye, diagnosed with depression, and spent a whole year recuperating at home.

Lin Qin lay in bed, replaying the young guests’ words in his mind, recalling how their smiles weren’t forced when they talked about these past hardships. They genuinely saw their struggles as experiences that strengthened and improved them.

This allowed them to openly share these dark Chapters of their lives during the conversation, knowing that brighter days awaited them ahead.

Lin Qin found himself envious—envying their ability to face the past calmly and bid it farewell so resolutely.

While he remained shackled by his own past, unable to move on, even to the detriment of his future.

Lin Qin tossed and turned until a knock sounded at the door.

He glanced at the time—it was already past 2 a.m., closer to 3. Who could it be at this hour?

The lingering shadow of Jin Feiyun’s incident made Lin Qin hesitant to open the door immediately. Instead, he approached cautiously, pressing against the door to ask, "Who is it?"

His cautious demeanor was somewhat adorable.

"Qinqin, it’s me."

Meng Chao’s deep voice came from outside, making Lin Qin breathe a sigh of relief as he opened the door.

Meng Chao stood there in his sleepwear, flashing a smile and teasing, "I knew you wouldn’t be asleep, so I came to climb into bed with you."

Meng Chao expected Lin Qin to get flustered by his remark, but to his surprise, his Qinqin was growing bold. Lin Qin responded, countering flirtatiously, "Welcome to climb into bed."

Although Lin Qin’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s and his face turned red, Meng Chao couldn’t help but feel teased.

With one motion, Meng Chao pulled Lin Qin into his arms, stepped into the room, closed the door behind them, and pressed Lin Qin against the door frame. In a husky voice, he said, "Gaining skills, aren’t you, my Qinqin?"

Lin Qin wasn’t about to back down and retorted, "Not as skilled as you, Brother Meng Chao."

Under the warm yellow light, Lin Qin’s eyes shone brightly with a hint of shyness, making him even more charming.

Meng Chao could no longer hold back. He bent down and captured Lin Qin’s lips with his own, and as their lips met, he muttered through their embrace, "Then let me show you what your Brother Meng Chao is capable of."