At that moment, the bullet comments were scrolling like crazy, so fast they were almost impossible to read.
"Why did Brother Yuan offer to sleep with Xu Chun?!"
"Meow meow meow? Did they get the wrong script? What the hell is going on with Xu Chun and Xie Jianyuan?"
"Sisters, I want to ship this crack pairing for one second. Just one second."
The production team knew exactly how to keep viewers in suspense. Once the time seemed right, they shut down the livestream, ensuring good ratings when the show aired.
After Xie Jianyuan said that, not only the others but even Xu Chun himself was startled. But he had spent enough time in the industry to keep his expression under control, so he did not slip up too badly.
The room assigned to Xie Jianyuan was on the second floor. Xu Chun carried his suitcase into the room and began getting his toiletries out.
Cameras had also been set up on both sides of the room. Xu Chun knew he needed to interact with the audience at a time like this, so he talked to himself as he unpacked.
Just then, Xie Jianyuan pushed the door open and came in. Smiling, he asked, "Senior, do you want to take a shower? I'll heat the water for you."
After a long, busy day, Xu Chun was indeed exhausted.
"Thank you." He paused, then a faint smile spread across his lips. "You don't have to call me senior. If you don't mind, just call me Brother Chun."
Xie Jianyuan paused for a moment, his gaze settling on Xu Chun's face. Smiling, he called him "Brother Chun."
Not only was Xu Chun a few years older than Xie Jianyuan, he had also debuted many years earlier. Xu Chun had appeared in a diaper commercial when he was just over a year old, then signed with his current agency in high school and played the female lead's son in a family drama. In terms of seniority, Xu Chun could be said to rank highest among the artists filming the show ll.
After waiting for Xie Jianyuan to finish washing up, Xu Chun went into the bathroom. A frosted glass partition separated the sink from the shower, so there was no need to worry about the awkwardness of someone suddenly walking in, but Xu Chun still made sure to lock the door.
About half an hour had passed by the time he finished showering. Xu Chun slowly got dressed, then rubbed his hair with a towel as he prepared to unlock the door.
But when he found that the handle would not budge, his expression changed. His heart felt as though someone had suddenly clenched it tight, and he could not help knocking on the door and calling out.
"Is anyone there? Xie Jianyuan? Are you in the bedroom?"
He listened intently for a moment but heard no sound outside. Xie Jianyuan was probably downstairs with the others.
An anxious expression appeared on Xu Chun's normally gentle face, a rare sight. When he was little, he had once been trapped alone in an elevator, in an enclosed
space
for several hours. When the doors finally opened, he had found himself facing a wall of bricks. Only later did he learn that the elevator had malfunctioned and stopped between two floors, so naturally all he could see were bricks. Although he had eventually been rescued, he remained afraid of enclosed spaces, and it was not until he grew up that he got much better.
But now, this feeling...
Xu Chun's face was pale, and his fingernails involuntarily dug deep into his palms. A faint sheen of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Although reason told him that someone would surely find him eventually and it was only a matter of time, every minute was agonizing. Whether it was psychological or not, he now even found it difficult to breathe.
Downstairs in the living room, everyone was laughing and joking around. Xie Jianyuan, however, seemed somewhat distracted. He glanced down at his watch and frowned slightly.
"What's wrong?" Lu Xian noticed that something was off with his expression and could not help asking quietly.
Xie Jianyuan said in a low voice, "It's been over an hour, and Brother Chun still hasn't come out."
Hearing him, Wei Jiahe teased with a smile, "Maybe he just takes a long time to shower. It's not like he could have fainted in there, right?"
Xie Jianyuan's expression did not relax in the slightest. He stood up and said with a smile, "I'll go check. You guys keep chatting."
With that, he went upstairs. The PD assigned to film him and several staff members followed him into the bedroom.
Xie Jianyuan went straight to the bathroom door, knocked gently, and said in a low voice, "Brother Chun, are you done?"
After a few seconds, Xu Chun's voice came from inside. It was trembling slightly.
"The door won't open."
Xie Jianyuan paused, then pulled hard on the door handle. Sure enough, it did not budge.
He leaned close to the door and said gravely, "Don't panic. I'll get the staff to take a look right away."
"...Hurry."
Xie Jianyuan was momentarily stunned. He had never heard Xu Chun show weakness like this. Xu Chun had always been calm and gentle, yet now, for once, he could hear panic in his words.
And Xu Chun had shown this side of himself in front of him. The realization made the corners of Xie Jianyuan's mouth lift involuntarily, but then he remembered they were in front of the cameras and restrained himself.
The staff called in a specialist, and after more than ten minutes, Xu Chun was finally able to get out. By then, everyone downstairs had gathered and learned that he had been locked inside.
The moment Bai Lingling saw him come out, relief finally showed on her previously anxious face.
"You scared me to death." She could not help walking over to Xu Chun and giving her what looked like a comforting hug.
Xie Jianyuan's gaze fell on them, and his eyes darkened. He said with a smile, "Brother Chun, you don't look too well. You should sit down and rest for a while."
Xu Chun felt weak all over and unsteady on his feet, without even the strength to push Bai Lingling away. He had been locked in the bathroom for a total of two hours. It had been full of hot steam, and with no air circulating, it had been stifling and hot. His head was now spinning.
Xie Jianyuan stepped forward without drawing attention and helped him sit down, separating him from Bai Lingling's hand. No one present noticed; even Xu Chun, whom he was supporting, did not realize that Xie Jianyuan was holding him.
After the scare, everyone offered Xu Chun a few words of comfort. Seeing that it was late, they returned to their respective rooms.
Only Xie Jianyuan and Xu Chun remained in the room. Xu Chun lay reading on the other half of the bed, with a wide gap between them.