I'll Participate

Si You posted his livestream on Weibo. Some people flocked over to curse him out, while others couldn't even be bothered. They knew he was a shameless mutt who only knew how to play the victim; even looking at him would give him traffic. So how had he still ended up trending?!

Si You had been cursed out several times before. Every time, he posted long Weibo essays that beat around the bush, with every line talking about how difficult his journey had been, never mentioning a word about his mistakes. When it came to harassing Shen Chuan, he had even asked netizens, "Is it wrong to like someone?" It had nearly enraged Shen Chuan's fans to death. When things could no longer be contained, he had gone on some obscure rural variety show and sobbed his heart out, tears and snot streaming down his face before the cameras until his makeup had come off. It was nauseating.

Fuck, let's see how you cried this time! With that thought, the remaining haters and fans of rival celebrities opened the trending topic.

Then...

After changing through more than a dozen positions, everyone realized something was wrong with this script. The white lotus wasn't making a scene anymore? At any rate, judging from the screenshots being circulated, he looked pretty damn fierce.

Still unconvinced, everyone clicked into Si You's livestream.

The moment they entered, they were hit with ghost faces and ghostly music, nearly getting carried away on the spot!

It was already a new day. People went to work or school as usual, idly scrolling through their phones in their spare time. Information spread incredibly fast, and with both the entertainment industry and the horror gaming circle involved, Si You's livestream was even more popular than it had been last night!

"That shouldn't have happened..." After getting his head blown off by the evil ghost again, Si You paused at the respawn screen and took a slurp of the instant noodles beside him.

Plane typed: [Why don't you try going in through that ventilation duct?]

"I tried. I'm missing a wrench." Si You said, "I searched until I was numb and still couldn't find it."

[Under the barrel!]

A sharp-eyed viewer typed those words.

Si You's eyes immediately lit up. He abandoned his noodles and started over.

"Holy shit, those moves! That's insane! He dodged it, he dodged it!" Zhao Linxiu slapped his thigh. "Beautiful!"

Measured footsteps approached, followed by a deep male voice. "What are you yelling about?"

Zhao Linxiu found a moment to turn around. Sure enough, it was Jiang Tingxu.

Even though Zhao Linxiu was straight, Jiang Tingxu still looked ridiculously handsome standing there with coffee in hand and dressed in casual clothes. He hadn't even styled his hair, yet he looked lazy without appearing messy. Sunlight fell across the corners of his eyes and brows, carrying Heaven's unique favor.

"Infant Road, I told you about this streamer. He's amazing—he's about to clear the game!"

"Mm." Jiang Tingxu took a sip of coffee, clearly not very interested.

But Zhao Linxiu thought of something and became even more excited. "Oh, and he's not an ordinary streamer either. He hit the hot searches three times today. That minor celebrity who used to cling to Shen Chuan? It's him! After appearing on 'Spring Heartbeat,' his reputation completely tanked. His old company dumped him and tossed him to New Victory Media. If he joins the next season of 'Spring Heartbeat,' he'll be a living target!"

At that, Zhao Linxiu drew out an "oh" in a rising tone. "Tingxu, didn't Sister Chen get you a variety show? I remember it being called this?"

"Mm." This time, Jiang Tingxu glanced toward Zhao Linxiu's tablet.

Zhao Linxiu immediately shifted closer to him. "I remember you're not afraid of horror games."

"I'm not." Jiang Tingxu leaned against the table and bent down slightly.

Bang!

Si You in the video had just smashed his head against the desk, then lightly but quickly knocked it several more times.

Zhao Linxiu said, "Hahaha! He died again."

Si You took a deep breath and sat upright.

Jiang Tingxu was finally able to see the man's features clearly.

Si You had not slept all night, and there was a faint bluish tint beneath his eyes. Yet the sunlight filtering through the curtains fell hazily over his face, making his skin appear exceptionally pale. He was clearly sleepy, and repeatedly being toyed with by the Infant Ghost had made him irritable. Even so, that wildness remained. Jiang Tingxu sincerely believed that this face would stand out even in the entertainment industry.

Si You wiped his face. "I figured it out. This round is in the bag."

Jiang Tingxu stared at Si You for several seconds before asking Zhao Linxiu, "Are you sure he was the one harassing Shen Chuan?"

"Hey! You couldn't tell, right? Honestly, I thought he didn't look like the type at first either. I even seriously searched it up just now. It's definitely him!" Zhao Linxiu said as he opened the comments. "Look at how many people are cursing him."

Jiang Tingxu casually scanned a few lines. They were all Shen Chuan's fans, and their words were vicious.

Jiang Tingxu nodded. "His mental fortitude is pretty good."

"More than that." Zhao Linxiu's tone turned meaningful. "If he's smart enough to ride this wave, he might even make a comeback."

Jiang Tingxu did not feel much about it. He had become famous young, possessed a talent for acting, and could endure hardship. While idols from other companies fought until their heads bled for a single endorsement, he was already able to secure the best ones. He also did not care for gossip, so when people in the industry fought each other, Jiang Tingxu usually only let it pass by his ears.

Yet Jiang Tingxu continued watching seriously, because Si You's gameplay was genuinely smooth.

"Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit..." Zhao Linxiu suddenly became excited. Si You had gotten the talisman to seal the Infant Ghost!

"Hmph." Si You flashed the camera a wildly arrogant smile. "Now, I'll allow you to praise me five minutes early."

Jiang Tingxu raised his brows slightly. This person seemed extremely narcissistic.

The comments read: [Dad! Please! Clear the game! I've been guarding this all night!]

Si You did not drag things out either. He decisively threw out the talisman.

As the Infant Ghost's resentment dissipated, the dim background gradually brightened.

Si You leaned back and stretched. "I'm exhausted."

The comments were flooded with "666" and "Amazing."

Some haters still refused to give up: [You're praising someone like this? Do you even have any morals?]

[Want me to shove your head into a toilet so you can see what morals look like? I'm just here to watch games, so quit bringing your fandom-circle bullshit here.]

[You can fight all you want. I enjoyed the show.]

After finishing the game, Si You could no longer hold on. He tossed out, "Going to sleep. I'll check it when I wake up," then ended the stream, shut down his computer, and threw himself onto the bed. In less than a second, he sank into a deep sleep.

Zhao Linxiu reluctantly exited the livestream. "That was satisfying."

Jiang Tingxu said nothing.

Just then, his manager, Sister Chen, called. Her voice was gentle. "Tingxu, I've thought about it. Although 'Spring Heartbeat' is popular, no one on it is big enough to match your status. Whoever you get paired with as a CP will just be riding your popularity. Forget it if it doesn't work..."

Sister Chen thought Jiang Tingxu felt the same way.

To her surprise, he replied, "It's fine."

Sister Chen said, "Huh???"

"I haven't had much going on lately," Jiang Tingxu said. "I'll participate."