Baby, Let's Meet

The question he feared most had arrived!

Si Di turned to look at Yu Ning, his eyes seeming to say: See? You made me ask when I didn't want to. Now he's asking me—how am I supposed to answer?

Yu Ning cleared his throat. "Why are you looking at me? Just make something up. It's not like he knows."

What a terrible friend.

Teaching him to lie online.

Si Di pinched his chin and thought it over before deciding to be honest.

[Little Si Invincible: Darling, would you mind if I had a job with a rather special nature?]

After he sent the message, there was no reply for several seconds.

Just as Si Di began to feel anxious, a "Something's wrong with you" meme popped up on the screen.

[V: Is it the kind of special nature I'm thinking of?]

[Little Si Invincible: ...]

[Little Si Invincible: Where did your mind go?! I'm not talking about the kind of special job that violates the law and morality, sells one's body and conscience! I mean—]

[Little Si Invincible: Ugh, the kind where I often run all over the place, deal with all kinds of people, sometimes have to appear in public, and complete all sorts of assigned tasks. Basically, I'm very busy.]

[V: ...A delivery driver?]

"Pfft—"

Yu Ning burst out laughing.

Already speechless, Si Di could not help glaring at him.

Yu Ning retreated to the lower bunk and casually grabbed a towel. "I'd better not get involved in this romance stuff. Um, I'm going to wash clothes. You carry on."

With that, he slipped away in a flash.

Si Di furrowed his brows, withdrew his gaze, and stared at his phone.

Ding—

[V: Actually, my job is rather special too.]

[V: I don't really understand why, but wherever I appear, there are always screams. It's inconvenient for me to say it directly. I wonder if you understand.]

Wherever he appeared?

Screams?

A flash of inspiration struck Si Di.

[Little Si Invincible: I get it. You're an NPC at a haunted house!]

[Little Si Invincible: What's so hard about saying that directly? It's not like I judge people by wealth. Besides, as long as we like each other and share compatible values, no other problem is really a problem.]

[Little Si Invincible: Let me tell you a secret: my current job has pretty good prospects, and I'll keep working hard to achieve great things in the future. Once I make a lot of money, you won't have to dress up as a ghost and scare people anymore. You can stay home in peace, be a good husband and raise the kids. I'll support you!]

[Little Si Invincible: Hands on hips.jpg]

[V: ...]

The chat box fell silent again.

Looking at that string of ellipses from V, Si Di did not quite understand.

Was he so moved that he did not know what to say?

Could he already be crying his eyes out?

Just as Si Di was about to comfort him, his phone dinged.

[V: Baby, let's meet.]

!!!

Meeting offline had come so suddenly!

Si Di had countless worries.

[Little Si Invincible: I'm a little worried. A lot of people say 80% of online relationships end the moment you meet in person. I'm afraid we'll end up parting on bad terms too. What if I'm not what you imagined after we meet, and you don't like me?]

[Little Si Invincible: [Crying][Crying]]

[V: [Patting head][Patting head]]

[V: Before meeting you, I had absolutely no definition of what the person I liked should look like. No matter what you look like, at least at this moment, you look exactly like the person I like.]

Si Di's heart raced wildly.

Through the screen, he seemed to see a tall, handsome man seriously speaking sweet nothings.

Damn it.

He was going to flirt him to death!

Ding—

[V: Let's meet.]

[V: I don't want our relationship to remain hidden in the virtual world. I want to be with you for real.]

No one could refuse words like that.

Especially Si Di, who was deeply in love.

After hesitating for a few seconds, he clenched his hands and replied firmly:

[Little Si Invincible: Okay, let's meet.]

[Little Si Invincible: Next month. Once my work settles down for a while, we'll meet.]

[V: Okay.]

[V: I'll wait for you.]

Those three words were unbearably gentle.

Si Di rolled over and lay on his bed, unable to hide his deep smile. Biting his lip, he pulled the blanket over his head.

It was a rest day.

The dorm was lazy and relaxed.

After eating at the cafeteria for several days in a row, many people took the chance to go out for a meal.

After discussing it, Yu Ning and Si Di decided to go out for hot pot.

The moment they left the dorm, they ran straight into someone.

Huo Xiao was carrying a Meituan delivery bag. When he saw Si Di, his steps halted.

Yu Ning and Si Di stopped as well.

Since they were walking toward each other, their gazes naturally met.

During yesterday's theme song assessment, Si Di had publicly challenged Huo Xiao.

Now that they had run into each other in private, the atmosphere was exceedingly strange.

Yu Ning looked from one to the other. To break the awkward silence, he politely asked, "Huo Xiao, are you having delivery for lunch? It's not easy to get a day off—why not go out to eat?"

In everyday life, Huo Xiao was somewhat less wild and unruly than he was onstage.

Though his gaze was cold, his tone was quite easygoing as he said, "I'm by myself. Couldn't be bothered going out."

Uh...

Yu Ning swallowed.

He was a little afraid of Huo Xiao. Maybe it was because Huo Xiao's presence was too gloomy; whenever they stood together, Yu Ning felt the same dread as serving beside a tiger.

He always felt that if he said one wrong thing, Huo Xiao would kick him to death.

Yu Ning had only been making polite conversation. If Huo Xiao had answered, "Didn't feel like it," or "What's it to you?" he would have nodded and left without thinking much of it.

Who knew Huo Xiao would say something like that?

He had not gone out because no one was accompanying him.

Wasn't that obviously asking someone to invite him?

Yu Ning's heart pounded wildly. Swallowing again, he was about to pretend not to hear and leave when Si Di lifted his eyes toward Huo Xiao.

"Yu Ning and I are going for hot pot. Want to come?"

He and Huo Xiao were not enemies.

Challenging him meant treating him as a goal.

More accurately, Si Di admired Huo Xiao.

Their gazes met, and Huo Xiao raised a brow, saying with a carefree air, "Sure."

Sure...

Yu Ning's breathing tightened. Pointing at the Meituan bag in Huo Xiao's hand, he asked nervously, "Then your delivery..."

Someone happened to pass by.

Huo Xiao raised his hand and placed the delivery bag against the person's chest, saying in a tone that brooked no refusal, "Bro, lunch is on me."

The person had been playing on his phone.

His hands suddenly grew heavy as he caught the weighty bag of delivery food, then looked at Huo Xiao in confusion.

Huo Xiao did not explain. He simply turned and walked away.

After taking a few steps, he turned to look at Si Di, who was still standing where he was. With the wicked air of a spoiled young master, he said, "You said you were treating me to hot pot. Come on."

Since the show began filming, everyone had said Huo Xiao was cold, quiet, and difficult to approach.

But now it seemed—

He was clearly the type to act familiar with anyone.

Si Di pursed his lips in a smile and walked over.

"Who said we were treating you? We're splitting the bill. Huo Xiao, did you bring money? I don't welcome freeloaders."

When he reached Huo Xiao's side—

Si Di proudly raised his chin, his brilliant eyes shining like stars in the night sky.

The young man's uninhibited spirit was written all over his face.

Huo Xiao lifted an arm and draped it around his shoulders.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"Hey, hey, hey! Did you forget about me? Wait for me!"

Yu Ning jogged after them and hooked his arm around Si Di's from the other side.

The three walked shoulder to shoulder.

From afar, a cool, distant gaze fell upon them.

Qin Wei had just finished filming some individual footage needed for an edited version scheduled to air a month later. When he turned his head, he happened to see the three of them leaving the base.

Their arms were around each other's shoulders.

Their actions were intimate.

Qin Wei withdrew his gaze, shook his head, and grumbled inwardly:

What kind of charm does Little Neurotic have that makes one person after another want to cling to him?