"..." Wen Feiran rarely found himself in situations like this. At a loss for words, he could only keep nodding.
Zou Yuxing covered his mouth, his shoulders trembling as he struggled not to laugh out loud.
Su Shangting glanced at him and snorted, drawing everyone's attention to himself.
Only then did Zou Yuxing raise his head and deliver the performance of a lifetime. "Tingyu, I had no idea you'd suffered so much. I'm so sad for you."
Ning Tingyu still had the second half of his act to perform, but Zou Yuxing's reaction made his left cheek burn, leaving him able only to chime in dryly.
All these responses were meant to placate his fans. As long as they continued to support him, he could stay in the entertainment industry and rake in more money.
Besides, it was hard to tell whether an answer like that was true or false, and no one could expose him. He would keep a low profile for a while, wait for the buzz to die down, then start appearing on screen frequently again. Even long afterward, he could use this to promote himself: those who believed him would sympathize, while those who didn't would treat it as entertainment. Buzz and traffic were what mattered.
Ning Tingyu was indeed remarkably resilient, and he had everything carefully calculated. He had only miscalculated one thing.
Just as he was about to smoothly move past the matter, an angry shout suddenly came from outside the door.
It was a woman's voice, extremely loud, every word clear: "Ning Tingyu, get your ass out here!"
No one had expected this turn of events. All the microphones and cameras were running, and the voice was transmitted to the livestream as well.
Ning Tingyu had clearly recognized the voice. The color drained from his face in an instant, and his features sagged. He scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping over himself and falling on the spot.
Ning Tingyu's livestream shut off, and no one knew what was happening outside the door, but Wen Feiran and the other two were still sitting in the living room.
Wen Feiran was completely beside himself. He pressed his lips into a thin line and looked at the other two for help.
He had no experience, couldn't control his expression, and didn't know how to handle this sudden incident. He wanted to learn from Zou Yuxing and Su Shangting.
Zou Yuxing's eyes were darting around, his expression remarkably animated. He jerked his chin toward Wen Feiran; he might as well have had "let's talk in the group chat" written on his face.
Su Shangting, meanwhile, looked utterly disgusted. He sneered, crossed his arms, and turned his head away, as if another glance would dirty his eyes.
"..." You really don't care one bit what happens to Ning Tingyu.
His phone kept vibrating in his pocket. Prompted by the others, Wen Feiran opened the group chat.
[Number One Handsome Guy: I'm dying. It's one thing for him to fool his fans like they're idiots, but he actually dared to put on that act in front of the three of us!]
[Number One Handsome Guy: He just said those three older sisters were all fantasies he dreamed up because he lacked love, and now one of them has shown up in the flesh. Is this his assistant in disguise too?]
[Number One Handsome Guy: I seriously suspect this assistant is a mole planted by a rival to frame our gege!]
[Number One Handsome Guy: Pfft hahahahahahahaha]
Wen Feiran: "..." You're hurting my eyes.
[Number One Handsome Guy: I kept missing it when it happened before, but now I've finally caught some fresh gossip. Let's go eavesdrop.]
[Entertainment Industry Gossip King: We're still livestreaming. Maybe not.]
[Number One Handsome Guy: But it'd be such a shame to miss it.]
As if to make it up to him, the sound of slapping came through clearly, even with a door between them.
Every slap was crisp, and they came so fast it sounded like she was using both hands.
It sounded painful. Wen Feiran sucked in a sharp breath.
Th-th-th-this... is that eighteen consecutive slaps?!!
Zou Yuxing and Su Shangting fell silent too. Zou Yuxing couldn't help shuddering; he was clearly feeling the pain in sympathy.
The atmosphere turned strange. Wen Feiran sat upright for five minutes until his shoulders grew stiff, then moved them slightly a couple of times.
Seeing this, Zou Yuxing pulled him back.
Wen Feiran froze for a few seconds, then looked back at the tightly shut door, asking with his eyes.
Zou Yuxing waved a hand. "No need to wait for him."
Wen Feiran: ?
Still shaken, Zou Yuxing said, "After taking that many slaps, his face must be red and swollen. You don't think he's going to come back looking like a monkey's ass, do you?"
Chapter 9: Astonishingly oblivious
Ning Tingyu's reputation was utterly ruined. Afraid things would escalate, he quietly slipped away that very day and never appeared before Wen Feiran and the others again. Mu Qianyu had resumed her career and was constantly discussing related matters with her manager. Apart from the necessary activities arranged by the production team, she rarely showed up either, leaving practically only Wen Feiran and the other two as regular cast members.
Wen Feiran: "..." Don't count me in. I'm just a passerby!
But Zou Yuxing was so enthusiastic that he had unilaterally decided Wen Feiran was his good buddy. He invited him along for everything, leaving Wen Feiran unable to hide in his room all the time.
That afternoon, Wen Feiran had just woken from a nap, his head still foggy. He looked at Zou Yuxing on his left, then at Su Shangting on his right, utterly bewildered and unsure what was going on.
Noticing Wen Feiran's gaze, Zou Yuxing flashed a sunny smile. Unlike last time, when he had buried Wen Feiran in questions, this time he had brought a prop. He pulled a ball from his pocket. "No matter where you throw the ball, I can catch it."
Wen Feiran had no idea why he had suddenly brought this up and could only say dryly, "That's just like you."
Zou Yuxing's eyes sparkled as he held out the ball. "Want to try?"
Wen Feiran took the ball instinctively and threw it.
Zou Yuxing's expression changed. He dashed after it, brimming with energy, his fluffy golden hair tracing an arc through the air. He judged where the ball would land, leaped high, and caught it cleanly, then waved it at Wen Feiran in a show of triumph.
They were playing fetch, and he had a head of golden hair, boundless energy, and a goofy grin.
It was rude, but Wen Feiran couldn't help thinking of a certain creature. He silently buried his face in his hands.
Before he could compose himself, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Su Shangting complained, "You like playing with him that much? It's so childish. I thought you were different."