But netizens lapped up the perfunctory, over-the-top performance and believed it was real.
[Hahahahaha, I knew Su Huaiming was the one throwing himself at Fu Jingfan!]
[At least he's honest. I thought Su Huaiming would say they had a great relationship.]
[He'd like to, but he wouldn't dare. Doge.jpg]
The comments scrolled by even faster, and Su Huaiming could barely make them out. Besides, they kept asking the same few questions, and there was no need to answer them.
Su Huaiming had just found a really good book and was itching to know what happened next, so he said, "The livestream is going to last an hour and a half. That's too long, so I'm going to find a book to read first. I suggest you all find something to do too. It'll be boring just watching the livestream."
With that, Su Huaiming put his phone aside and picked up the book beside him, minding his own business.
[Don't run away if you've got the guts! There are still so many questions you haven't answered!]
[I'm dying. Now that his lovey-dovey persona has fallen apart, is he going to market himself as a top student?]
[Everyone knows Su Huaiming studied in high school. He's one of the entertainment industry's famously ill-educated nine-year compulsory education escapees. How does he dare market himself as a top student?!]
Su Huaiming was absorbed in his reading and ignored the comments. Just as netizens were mocking him most viciously, he turned a page, and everyone saw what was in the book.
Su Huaiming was indeed reading a book, but it was... a comic book.
The artwork was incredibly lavish, with all sorts of pink bubbles and brightly colored roses.
[Is Su Huaiming reading a shoujo manga?!]
[I never expected that to be his taste. Isn't that so weird?]
[Hahahahaha, that's Su Huaiming for you. He always manages to do something no one expects!]
[He's reading a shoujo manga. Where are all the people who mocked Su Huaiming for setting himself up as a top student? You've been slapped in the face now, haven't you?]
The shoujo manga had a very old-fashioned art style. Su Huaiming had only been curious about what it was about, but after two pages, he found himself completely engrossed in the love and hate entangling eight people. He desperately wanted to know whether the CP he shipped would end up together.
Su Huaiming sat on the bay window seat with a soft blanket beneath him. His bare feet rested on it, the pile almost covering the tops of his feet.
He wore a simple white shirt and black pants, his back against a cushion and his eyes lowered to the comic book in his hands. His expression was focused and serene.
Sunlight from the window fell on him, specks of light dancing playfully on his thick, curled eyelashes. It edged him in gold and softened the lines of his figure, making him look like a young man who had stepped out of the light.
Su Huaiming turned a few pages now and then. His fingers were long and slender, with small knuckles, and his fingertips were almost translucent against the light. When he raised his hand, he revealed an exceptionally slender wrist that had a fragile look to it.
Everyone knew perfectly well that Su Huaiming was reading a shoujo manga, but the sight was so captivating that they couldn't help thinking of the clean-cut, book-loving school heartthrob from their student days.
No matter how biased someone was against Su Huaiming or how badly they wanted to smear him, they couldn't disparage his looks.
Su Huaiming didn't answer another question, just continued reading by himself. Yet the number of viewers in the livestream didn't decrease; instead, it kept trending upward.
Su Huaiming finally saw the CP he shipped get together and gave a lazy stretch. The sunlight by the window was warm and made him feel comfortable. He found a comfortable position by the window, closed his eyes, and fell asleep, completely forgetting he was livestreaming.
[!!!! The first person to sleep on a livestream]
[Isn't Su Huaiming being way too perfunctory? If you're going to livestream, then do your job properly!]
[Hahahahaha, why hasn't the viewer count dropped even though Su Huaiming is asleep? Why is it still going up? What's wrong with you people? Do you like watching people sleep?!]
Su Huaiming slept uncomfortably against the window.
His head rubbed against the cushion unconsciously as he tried to find a more comfortable position, but his body kept sliding down.
The tens of millions of viewers in the livestream watched Su Huaiming's head sway back and forth, unable to find support, tilting farther and farther forward until his whole body lost its balance.
!!!!!!
Just then, a hand appeared on the livestream and gently cupped Su Huaiming's cheek. It was an unmistakably masculine hand, with long fingers and clearly defined knuckles.
The tendons and bones on the back of the hand stood out slightly with the effort as it single-handedly stopped Su Huaiming from falling.
The owner of the hand tried to help Su Huaiming up, leaning forward slightly, and the lower half of his face appeared on camera.
The comments in the livestream froze for three or four seconds before erupting in a flood that nearly crashed the platform.
[Ahhhhh, that's Fu Jingfan, right!]
[It's definitely him. I've watched his livestream before. I'd recognize him even if I could only see his chin!!]
[Fu Jingfan worries about Su Huaiming and holds his face for him. Is this the legendary "not close"?!]
[Ahhhhh, so sweet, I'm dying from the sweetness!]
Su Huaiming felt the scorching heat of Fu Jingfan's palm and blearily opened his eyes, his hazy gaze falling on Fu Jingfan's face.
Seeing Su Huaiming's fluffy hair and sleepy expression, Fu Jingfan said quietly, "Don't sleep here. Go to bed."
Su Huaiming was especially obedient when he wasn't fully awake. He immediately sat up, climbed down from the bay window seat, and headed for the bed, hoping to get some more good sleep.
His mind wasn't clear, and he completely forgot he was still livestreaming, leaving his phone all alone on the bay window seat.
[!!!! Take the phone with you!]
[This is the most unprofessional streamer I've ever seen. He slept on stream, and now there's not even anyone on camera!]
[Shit, I'm so desperate I want to crawl through the screen.]
[Me too. I know there's no way I can see anything, but I've already shoved my big face right up against my phone screen.]
Although they couldn't see what was happening, they could still hear the sounds clearly.
Some rustling came from off camera, like fabric rubbing together. A few seconds later, Su Huaiming suddenly let out a startled "Ah!" Fu Jingfan's voice wasn't clear, but for some reason, his tone sounded very gentle.
The netizens in the livestream were dumbstruck.
The less they could see, the more their imaginations ran wild. Besides, the sounds were so suggestive that no one could blame them for thinking that way.
[Holy shit, are they going to do that on livestream?!]
[Am I allowed to listen to this for free?]
[I'm an adult, don't treat me like an outsider. Even if I can't see it, at least let me listen!]
[Thanks to Su Huaiming for redefining "not close" for me... How the fuck is this still not close!!!]
Just then, the livestream suddenly shut down without any warning.
On the other end, netizens stared at the black screen, which reflected their faces, twisted from excessive excitement.
Look at that, those two were so guilty they shut down the livestream!
They really were going to get up to something dirty in broad daylight!!
Chapter 25: 025
Off camera, Su Huaiming, his fluffy hair a mess, was so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open. He headed toward the bed almost by instinct, eager to collapse onto it and get a good sleep.
There was nothing in his path, but Su Huaiming was walking so much like a zombie that his left leg tripped over his right foot. He lost his balance and fell forward, letting out a small, involuntary shriek.
Fu Jingfan was standing right beside him and immediately reached out to grab his arm, saving Su Huaiming from an embrace with the hard ground.
Su Huaiming couldn't regain his balance and fell toward Fu Jingfan under the pull of his hand.
Soft hair brushed lightly against the tip of Fu Jingfan's nose, tickling it. Fu Jingfan lowered his eyes slightly and saw the small, fair tip of Su Huaiming's ear and the fine hairs that had turned pale gold in the light.
Su Huaiming's cheek brushed against Fu Jingfan's shirt, but he didn't fall into his arms. Instead, he staggered a few steps and steadied himself.
The mishap brought Su Huaiming a little more awake. Fu Jingfan's figure was reflected in his clearly defined black-and-white eyes. "Thank you."
Fu Jingfan nodded slightly, but the hand gripping Su Huaiming's shoulder didn't let go.
Su Huaiming waited a second or two before adding, "I can walk on my own."
Fu Jingfan raised an eyebrow, seemingly doubting him.
The corners of Su Huaiming's mouth turned down, and he said discontentedly, "I only fell because I wasn't awake just now. I can walk properly now."
Only then did Fu Jingfan let go.
Su Huaiming walked to the bed and put his hands on his waistband. He was just about to take off his pants to sleep when he suddenly realized there was someone else in the room.
"..."
Su Huaiming coughed, pretended to adjust his waistband, and awkwardly lowered his hands. He looked up at Fu Jingfan. "Why did you come here?"
"I watched the livestream."
"You watched the livestream?!" Su Huaiming's eyes widened in surprise. That didn't seem like something Fu Jingfan would do.
Before he could ask, Fu Jingfan beat him to it. "How did you fall asleep during the livestream?"
Fu Jingfan's tone was utterly even, betraying no emotion, but his years in a high position gave him an imposing presence even when he wasn't angry. For some reason, Su Huaiming felt like an employee caught slacking off by his boss.
"I didn't do it on purpose." Su Huaiming avoided Fu Jingfan's gaze, his tone a little weak. "The sun was so nice today, and it felt so comfortable. I was basking in it when I suddenly got a little sleepy, and then I accidentally fell asleep."
"You forgot you were livestreaming?" Fu Jingfan asked.
"Mm..." Su Huaiming suddenly seemed to remember something. He sprang up from the bed and strode toward the bay window, muttering, "Oh no, oh no, the livestream is still on!"
When he got there, he discovered that the screen was completely dark. The livestream had been shut down at some unknown point.
Only then did Su Huaiming breathe a sigh of relief. He turned to look at Fu Jingfan, his gaze full of questions.
Fu Jingfan paused. "The administrator shut it down."
"When did they shut it down?" Su Huaiming asked.
Fu Jingfan didn't know, but he reassured Su Huaiming. "They're professionals. They'll know when to shut down the livestream."
Su Huaiming trusted them too, so he nodded and casually slipped his phone into his pocket. Standing in front of the bay window, he looked straight at Fu Jingfan, hinting at him with his eyes.
Su Huaiming was sure Fu Jingfan understood what he meant, but Fu Jingfan remained standing there, meeting his gaze for a full minute and a half.
Su Huaiming was baffled. He raised an eyebrow at him and looked toward the door, making it perfectly clear that he wanted him to leave.
Fu Jingfan remained where he was, his dark eyes so deep that no one could guess what he was thinking.
Su Huaiming wanted to sleep, so he could only ask Fu Jingfan to leave. "Don't you have a lot of things to take care of? Go on and get back to work. Once you're done, you can get to bed earlier tonight."
"It's all been taken care of," Fu Jingfan said mildly.
Su Huaiming: "..." How was he supposed to respond to that?
As far as Su Huaiming was concerned, nothing in the world was more important than eating and sleeping. He sat down on the bed without ceremony and said expressionlessly, "I'm a little sleepy. I'm going to bed."
A barely perceptible smile appeared in Fu Jingfan's eyes.
Su Huaiming disliked trouble and could only conceal his intentions for five minutes at most. After that, he didn't care who it was, not even the Heavenly King himself.