Yu Dog, are you playing hard to get?

"Thanks to the commenter below for the warning. Good thing I haven't let my kid watch him yet."

"Ha, I knew it. Nothing good ever comes out of Yu Dog's mouth."

"This guy is so funny! Handsome, good values, and a sense of humor. I'm a fan."

"Where did all these random viewers come from? Isn't this stream supposed to be full of Yu Dog's haters?"

"Yeah, our hater comments are getting completely buried."

"Is his fandom called 'Haters'? He's funny, and so are his fans!"

"Yeah, yeah, this looks pretty fun. I'll join the 'Haters' too. His singing brought me here. Where do new fans join the group?"

"Uh... how do we explain this to all these newcomers? Waiting online for answers. Urgent!"

The cameraman had been hesitating for a while before he finally couldn't resist reminding him, "You're still a celebrity, you know. Aren't you worried saying things like that will cost you future endorsement deals?"

Yu Xiuyuan tore his gaze away from the washbasin-sized crab on the poster and turned toward the cameraman, leaning in until he was almost pressed against the lens.

"Didn't you hear me earlier, man? I'm retiring in two months! I wasn't going to take any more endorsements anyway!"

"You know what retirement is, right? That thing you won't get for another thirty-odd years of work."

His voice was cheerful, his eyes curved into crescents. He'd shared his wonderful news with everyone all over again. So happy~

The cameraman's face darkened. I shouldn't have bothered reminding him.

Apparently, this guy was so immersed in the joy of retirement that he couldn't care less whether anyone else lived or died!

The new fans had barely joined before disaster struck.

"Retiring? Leaving the industry? Why is he saying he'll retire in two months?"

"His singing is so good. Isn't his agency renewing his contract? Are the standards for singers that high now?"

"What a gorgeous face. Baby, back away from the camera. I'm afraid I'll spray my nosebleed all over you!"

"Is Yu Dog really leaving the industry? Isn't this just a publicity stunt?"

"He's leaving right after I became a fan? Calling the fandom 'Haters' really is bad luck!"

"It is bad luck. How about 'Heyters'?"

"Hater: ..."

"Hater No. 2: ..."

After basking in his happiness for a while, Yu Xiuyuan turned and left the mall. He'd just eaten, so he'd try the washbasin-sized crab next time.

He asked the driver to take him somewhere that sold reasonably priced clothes, then leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes to rest.

"Quit sleeping! Yu Dog, get up and finish that song!"

"Yu Dog, are you playing hard to get? Get up and finish singing if you've got the guts!"

"Yu Dog, don't tell me you don't actually know how to sing the second half?"

"So cute! His fans are called 'Haters,' and they call their idol 'Yu Dog.'"

"So consistent. It's oddly adorable!"

"Fans really do take after their idol. This is so much fun."

"I refuse to believe nobody would sign such a funny celebrity. I'm definitely becoming his fan. Where do I join the 'Haters' group?"

"Hater: ..."

"Hater No. 2: How do we explain this..."

"Hater: Would they believe us even if we explained?"

No matter how loud the comments got, they couldn't wake someone who was genuinely asleep.

The dating show's director stared at the main stream's dwindling viewer numbers, lost in thought...

They all went to watch Yu Xiuyuan? Do viewers like watching guests sleep these days?

Yu Xiuyuan slept soundly the whole way. When the cameraman woke him and told him they'd arrived, he got out and looked around, spotting the familiar Snow King.

Cheerfully, he bought a lemonade each for himself, the driver, and the cameraman, then charged into the first shop.

One whirlwind hour later, Yu Xiuyuan had bought three outfits for a thousand yuan using his "halve the asking price" bargaining method.

The comments were flooded with

"Lesson learned."

"Lesson learned."

"Lesson learned."

"He's amazing at bargaining! And the clothes all look so good!"

"There's really no need to buy luxury brands. He looks super, super handsome even in clothes that cost one or two hundred yuan!"

"Pfft! What a tacky bumpkin! Haggling over clothes when they cost so little. How can he have the nerve to talk about retiring and enjoying life?"

"What a cheapskate! What celebrity drinks Snow King?"

"What's wrong with drinking Snow King? Snow King is the GOAT, okay?"

"He's just putting on a retirement persona. Let's see how he gets out of this in two months when he's supposed to leave the industry."

"Being frugal is a virtue, okay?"

"He's so thoughtful. He even bought drinks for the driver and cameraman."

"He's not really leaving the industry, is he? No! He hasn't finished the song yet!"

Once he'd finished shopping, Yu Xiuyuan wore the last outfit straight back to the car. The sooner he changed out of his matching couple's outfit with best actor Yun, the better.

After getting in, he asked the driver to find a reliable (cheap) hairstylist to deal with his eye-catching, multicolored hair.

With his hair done, he hurried back and finally made it in time for dinner.

Yu Xiuyuan jogged into the living room, and everyone froze at the sight of him again.

A dusty pink hoodie, light blue jeans, and hair dyed back to black, trimmed a little shorter into a softly parted fringe. He looked utterly youthful.

The breeze gently lifted his hair, and his cheeks were slightly flushed from running.

He looked every bit the innocent college student, the unforgettable first love.

The other guests: ...

Was he really this good at generating buzz?

How many times had he surprised everyone in just one day?

Seeing the guests stare blankly, the viewers were delighted.

"Hehe... hehehe... stunned, aren't you? When Yu Dog first came out in this look, my jaw hit the floor too!"

"Hehe... hehehe... we can't be the only ones with our jaws on the floor. Let the guests get a shock too!"

"The haters are gradually turning into Yu..."

"Ta-da-da-daaa~ The ultimate magic trick-a total transformation!"

"He's on a dating show? So he's still single? (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡ Wonder if I have a chance~"

The director sat by the monitor, watching the comments grow increasingly "Yu-like," and sank into thought...

Could it be... that "Haters" really was just the name of Yu Xiuyuan's fandom?

As Wen Lin watched Yu Xiuyuan, his fingers dug tightly into his palm.

He had a gut feeling that if he let Yu Xiuyuan carry on like this, he would lose something very important.

Taking a deep breath, he went over with a teasing smile. "Yu, you're finally back. We've been waiting ages for you. Did you go out especially to get a new look? It's lovely."

Yu Xiuyuan rolled his eyes. "Cut the passive-aggressive act. Trying to say I'm calculating and deliberately went out for a makeover, wasting everyone's time? Who exactly was waiting for me? Is there anyone here who wants to build a romantic connection with me? Stop speaking for everyone."

After being snapped at, Wen Lin instinctively gave Fang Yi a pitiful look, only to find him staring blankly at Yu Xiuyuan, paying no attention to him at all.

Wen Lin's pitiful expression froze, then slowly darkened.

Having told Wen Lin off, Yu Xiuyuan couldn't be bothered with him anymore. He turned to the others with a slightly apologetic expression. "Sorry I got back late and missed helping with the cooking. I'll wash the dishes again tonight."

After a pause, he added solemnly, "I'll wash them by myself!"

With that, he sat in the farthest corner again and waited for the last few dinner dishes.

Everyone graciously assured him it was fine.

Only Yun Chuan said nothing. Watching Yu Xiuyuan's wind-tousled hair, he rubbed his fingertips together. For some inexplicable reason, they felt a little itchy.