Ears Turned Red

Although Jiang Tingxu's room was only separated from Si You's by a wall, its layout made it open on three sides, with only the bathroom window being a little smaller. Si You felt a brief flicker of envy, then sighed at how clean it was. Not the kind of clean that came from having few things—the quilt lay perfectly flat without even a wrinkle, several pieces of clothing were folded neatly on the sofa like tofu blocks, and the computer on the desk had probably been used not long ago, its power button faintly glowing.

Si You gave the room a quick look around, then carried the clothes he had just taken into the bathroom.

The hot water washed away the chill, and Si You's taut nerves gradually eased.

Just as he got dressed and came out, someone knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Si You asked instinctively.

"Me," Jiang Tingxu said. "Can I come in?"

This is your room.

Si You opened the door, damp clothes in hand, and saw the man holding a cup of hot tea.

"Ah, I'm done washing up," Si You said.

"Mm." Jiang Tingxu handed him the cup. "Drink it."

Si You accepted it and only then realized it was ginger tea. His admiration and fondness for Jiang Tingxu were truly rising in a straight line.

Jiang Tingxu had not treated him coldly like the others, nor had he shown even the slightest prejudice. He was very friendly toward Si You.

Holding the cup like that, Si You drank the hot ginger tea in one go. The sweetness was just right, and he could not help asking, "The production crew is treating me this well?"

"I made it," Jiang Tingxu said. "You don't need to go downstairs. The few of you who went out gathering can go back to your rooms and rest. I'll call you when dinner is ready."

Si You blinked. "Huh?"

Jiang Tingxu looked at him. "Anything you can do, I can do too. Go get some sleep."

After running around for hours, Si You's calves had been aching for quite a while. It would have been a lie to say he was not tired. If anyone else had told him that, Si You definitely would not have listened. This show required him to work himself to the bone, but when Jiang Tingxu said it, it meant everything had already been arranged.

"Alright." Si You did not stand on ceremony.

It was already four thirty in the afternoon. Si You had only meant to take a short nap, but the moment he lay down, sleep swallowed him whole. Since Si You had taken control of this body, it had not received much proper rest. Sometimes, Si You even felt as though it was leaking air somewhere.

As soon as the rain eased, the production crew set up the pots and stoves. Dinner was still to be prepared by each CP pair. Xue Boyu helped Jiang Tingxu, busily washing vegetables.

"Brother Jiang, I'll just learn from you," Xue Boyu said, watching attentively from the side.

Jiang Tingxu replied casually, "Why not learn from Si You?"

"Brother Si You's cooking process is too complicated."

Jiang Tingxu was silent. Indeed, Si You could fry, deep-fry, stew, and roast, while he only knew how to make a few simple home-style dishes.

There were quite a few ingredients today. Song Yalin felt bad for her boyfriend and prepared a lavish meal.

Xu Ke had plenty of energy. Whatever Fei Chang told him to do, he did, without complaining.

After clumsily washing some leafy greens, Zhang Jianlin sat on a stool and played with his phone. Song Yalin caught sight of him from the corner of her eye and looked thoroughly disgusted. In truth, Song Yalin and Jiang Yao had not gotten along at first. They had once clashed over an endorsement, but after coming on the show and getting to know each other—plus the polishing influence of that stinky man Zhang Jianlin—they quickly became close friends.

Jiang Yao had complained to Song Yalin countless times in private. If Si You had not been so good at courting disaster last season, Zhang Jianlin would definitely have been the first one shoved into the spotlight!

One tactic used by Si You's antis and rival fans to collectively attack him was to elevate the status of the other CPs. Even Zhang Jianlin had been given the title of "traditional good man," causing him to lose himself in false praise and develop an incomprehensible sense of superiority.

Less than ten minutes later, Jiang Yao came downstairs rubbing her eyes.

Zhang Jianlin smiled when he saw her. "I was just about to see whether you were awake."

Your messages were practically set to make my phone vibrate nonstop. Who are you pretending for?

[Disgusting.]

[Is Zhang Jianlin's brain broken?! The wind and rain were so bad this afternoon. Doesn't he know how hard Yao Yao worked gathering wild vegetables outside?! Fei Chang works out all the time and has lots of energy. Even Shao Ancheng and Si You, two grown men, went to rest. Doesn't Yao Yao need rest too?!]

Girls were especially likely to empathize with girls. Anyway, after so many sisters put themselves in Jiang Yao's shoes through the comments... they were furious.

Yet Zhang Jianlin still wore the expression of an honest man, his face practically screaming, "I'm doing this for your own good." His backwards logic maxed out everyone's anger buff.

By comparison, Jiang Yao said nothing. She had clearly just been woken up, her messy bun hastily tied and slightly disheveled. Looking dazed and somewhat adorably blank, she walked to the stove and began preparing dinner.

From beginning to end, she did not spare Zhang Jianlin a single glance.

Jiang Yao had thought it through. Really, even Si You, who had it so much harder than her, could still shield others from the wind and rain. She had merely encountered an idiot. Her situation was far better than Si You's. Somehow, Jiang Yao had gained a strange sort of strength from Si You. Now that her state of mind had calmed, she even had more inspiration.

"Is there anything you need me to help with?" Zhang Jianlin moved closer.

Jiang Yao shifted aside to put some distance between them. Her tone was light and gentle. "Do whatever you want."

Zhang Jianlin frowned slightly.

Jiang Tingxu made a simple meal of four dishes and a soup: stir-fried meat with green peppers, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried choy sum, cold wild vegetable salad, and a light radish soup. It could not compare to Si You's cooking, but it looked pretty good.

Xue Boyu had learned the all-purpose sauce and planned to make cold cucumber salad for the next meal.

"I'll go call Brother Si You," Xue Boyu said, making as if to head upstairs.

"I'll go," Jiang Tingxu said.

The alarm rang three times, and Si You turned it off every time. At first, he shut out the knocking as well, but it eventually pierced through his heavy dreams and gradually became clearer.

The curtains were half-drawn. Si You struggled into a sitting position and only then realized it was completely dark outside.

A person's vigilance had yet to fully awaken right after waking up. Instead, trust came naturally from the heart. "Jiang Tingxu?"

The doorknob turned, and the hallway light immediately spilled inside. Jiang Tingxu stood straight and said warmly, "Time to eat."

"Okay." Si You threw back the covers, got out of bed, and went to wash up.

Si You was still very sleepy when he came out. Jiang Tingxu noticed and walked beside him. "Didn't sleep last night?"

"I did," Si You said. "I'm just a little tired."

Of course he was tired. Jiang Tingxu had seen how desperately Si You had been pushing himself, but there was no helping it. His online reputation had to be turned around through sheer capability.

The stairs were not very wide, so Jiang Tingxu let Si You go first. The young man stretched lazily, his shoulder blades forming a beautiful shape beneath the fabric. Even the back of his neck was pale and white. Jiang Tingxu even wondered whether this person simply could not tan.

The lights made Si You even dizzier. He felt as though he could go back to bed and sleep for another twelve hours.

Facts proved that when people were not fully awake, they should not get distracted. Si You's foot suddenly slipped. His heart dropped, and his body had already pitched forward.

"Huh?" Si You failed to grab the railing. Startled awake, his gaze immediately swept downward as he considered how to save himself.

The next second, a large hand reached around from behind and directly caught Si You around the waist, pulling him back. Still shaken, his back pressed against a warm, broad chest.

"Are you alright?" Jiang Tingxu asked.

Si You did not answer. Instead, he immediately rubbed his ears. They tingled unbearably. He really could not handle Jiang Tingxu speaking to him from so close.

Jiang Tingxu, meanwhile, noticed something. A hint of amusement flashed through his eyes.

The previously calm comments instantly exploded.

[Si You, you dog, let go of my husband!]

[Wow, Si You is seriously shameless. He wants to hype up a CP with Jiang Tingxu this way.]

[Could it be... that they're actually a CP?]

[People shouldn't... at the very least, they can't... forget it, I'll ship them first!]