I was the one who couldn't do it

This time, the location was an island, where three large tents had already been set up.

When Song Nianxing arrived, Chen Mingyi and Du Yuesi were barefoot on the beach, collecting shells. The instant Chen Mingyi spotted him, she smiled brightly, raised her hand, and waved to him, calling out:

"Nianxing-want to join us? The shells here are so pretty. Huh? Didn't Senior Shen come with you? Don't tell me the day with the kitty and the kitty was the only time you slept together? Speaking of which, can his cat really do backflips?"

Three questions came bombarding Song Nianxing in a row. Especially at the words "slept together," his steps froze as he dragged his suitcase along. Then he shuddered as though by reflex and hurriedly answered, "That day... we didn't sleep together that day. Don't make things up."

As he spoke, he was the first to blush guiltily instead. Only after taking a moment to catch his breath did he continue, "Senior Shen had a fever last night, so the engagement he had this morning was pushed back to the afternoon. He has to go to another appearance first now, so he'll be here later. The kitty... I didn't get a chance to see whether the kitty could do backflips. It probably can."

Listening to his answer, Chen Mingyi gave another "Huh?" "You didn't sleep together the day you went to see the kitty, but you know so clearly that Senior Shen had a fever last night. So that means you slept together last night, right? Oh my, why do I feel like I suddenly got smarter? Du Yuesi, don't you think so?!"

As soon as she finished, the livestream's scrolling comments burst into life.

[Oh my, he knows everything about Shen Siyi like the back of his hand. That damn spouse energy.]

[Chen Mingyi was thinking exactly what I was thinking!! Song Nianxing only explained that they didn't sleep together the day he went to see the cat, but he didn't say anything about the next day. He definitely can't lie, hahaha.]

[Chen Mingyi really was sharp this time. Looks like she has a talent for ship analysis.]

[She asked Du Yuesi! She actually asked Du Yuesi herself. Rivals will be rivals, and rivals are wives, aaaaaah! I seriously think "A Little Interesting" is the realest now!]

Seeing Chen Mingyi turn toward her with such a smug look, Du Yuesi nodded along with a smile whose fondness she could hardly hide.

But Song Nianxing wasn't having it. "Y-you, you... we didn't sleep together. Yes, right, we didn't sleep together. Stop making things up..."

The more he spoke, the redder his face became, until even his originally fair neck took on a faint flush.

"Fine, you didn't sleep together. Why are you getting so worked up? Tsk, tsk, tsk. It's okay. You'll have to sleep together today no matter what, anyway."

As Chen Mingyi spoke, she walked over, then pointed to a sign standing in front of the middle tent. "Look, it says this week's sleeping arrangements are two people to a tent. You can't possibly sleep with either me or Du Yuesi, can you? And you can't split up Yuan Man and Yu Xinyan either, right? So."

She shrugged with a mischievous grin.

Song Nianxing looked again and again in the direction she pointed, his lashes trembling lightly beyond his control.

Hmm... sleeping in pairs?

Looking at it that way, it really did seem like Shen Siyi was his only choice.

Then his gaze swept over the three tents, and he frowned in slight confusion. "Two people to a tent, but there are only three here..."

Chen Mingyi's mouth fell open in surprise. "Huh? You actually don't know? Jiang Jingzhe and Qiu Bailu left the show. Weibo's been so lively these past two days. And there's you and Jiang Jingzhe..."

"Ahem!" Du Yuesi coughed abruptly, cutting off Chen Mingyi's enthusiastic words. Then she gave Song Nianxing one of the shells she had collected and smiled gently. "Little Star probably hasn't checked Weibo, right? It's just as well you haven't. It's a show, after all. People join and people leave, but we're still here. We'll keep you company from now on."

After Du Yuesi's interruption, Chen Mingyi also understood that some things shouldn't be brought up again, so she nodded repeatedly with a string of "Mm-hm"s.

Song Nianxing froze for a moment, and a sudden warmth filled his heart.

He had never been someone people liked, ever since he was little, yet lately, more and more people had been willing to show him kindness.

How wonderful.

Although he knew that a large part of why everyone treated him this way might be out of consideration for how close Shen Siyi was to him, rather than because they truly liked him as a person.

Still, he treasured all this unexpected kindness.

"Thank you," he said, his nose stinging a little. Only with difficulty did he rein in his emotions and manage a smile. "I really don't check Weibo much, because I'm rather scared..."

A little sympathy entered Chen Mingyi's expression, before she suddenly smiled as something else occurred to her. "Holy crap, you haven't checked at all these past two days? Then didn't you miss that post Senior Shen made too?!"

Song Nianxing was a little embarrassed. "I did see that one..."

"Saw what? The kitty and the kitty?"

No sooner had Song Nianxing finished speaking than Yuan Man's teasing, amused voice came from behind him.

Song Nianxing jolted and turned around. Yuan Man and Yu Xinyan were walking toward them, one behind the other.

And right after Yuan Man finished teasing him, Yu Xinyan raised his eyebrows with a playful smile and called out in a louder voice, "Oh my, if it isn't Song Nianxing. Whose little cutie was he again?"

The scrolling comments immediately dissolved into laughter.

[Oh my, I seriously can't with this Yu Xinyan, hahahaha. Dropping that line out of nowhere made my toes curl right into the floor.]

[You "Taro Balls" lovebirds really unleashed your ultimate right in his face.]

[Could the "Gleaming Starlight" shippers on-site please keep your shipping to yourselves? How did you end up flaunting it right in front of the actual person?]

"Exactly, whose is he? It's so hard to guess~" Du Yuesi stopped pretending and joined in too.

Only Chen Mingyi offered the most straightforward answer. "Shen Siyi's, obviously."

The other three immediately burst out laughing.

Looking at those faces, every one of them laughing so merrily, Song Nianxing could only feel his whole body heating up. Looking almost flustered, he turned to Yu Xinyan and said with a slightly sarcastic edge:

"Like you're any better? Who was it who got jealous when Yuan Man didn't tag him and went, 'Heh, why don't you tag the whole cast while you're at it?'~~"

Yu Xinyan's eyes immediately went as wide as saucers. "W-who was jealous?!"

(Why could everyone tell I was jealous that time? Was I that obvious? Please, no, that's so embarrassing. No, wait, I wasn't jealous at all. Right! I wasn't!)

As he thought this, he hurriedly straightened up and added indignantly, "What a joke. I don't care at all whether Yuan Man tags me, okay! I don't care one bit. I super don't care, okay?! Let him leave me untagged if he can!"

Hearing Yu Xinyan's inner thoughts and seeing his prickly display, Yuan Man couldn't help chuckling softly and answered, "Mm, I was the one who couldn't do it."