Jiang Shu and He Gu had not left after submitting their task, so they heard the rule too.
He Gu secretly cheered. With this rule as cover, he could openly work to collect Heart-Pounding Badges without being accused of deliberately using Jiang Shu to gain publicity.
The viewers in the livestream were dazzled by the production team's endless tricks too.
[As expected of the production team that stirs up the most trouble. Incredible, one wicked idea after another.]
[This photo makes me so mad. What is He Gu trying to do? Can he stop clinging to our boy?]
[Exactly. He acted like such an understanding friend before, but he's just like Sheng Nian.]
[You Jiang Shu fans are going too far. Even friends instinctively grab each other's hands when they're scared. Gu didn't do it on purpose.]
[Why act so helpless? If he's really scared, he shouldn't go on such thrilling rides, okay?]
[Wait, am I the only one who finds President Yan ignoring the camera and focusing on Sheng Nian so shippable?!]
[Agreed with the person above! Does anyone understand how President Yan keeps staring at his wife, like a lazy male lion encircling his queen?]
[I think this photo is way sweeter than Jiang Shu and He Gu's. You just have to find the sweet moments yourself.]
[I declare the Sheng-Yan CP the sweetest!]
[We've already got a ship name? Where's the group? I want in!]
[I've already set up a forum group on the Star Network. Check my profile if you want to join~]
Meanwhile, after complaining about all the production team's outrageous tricks, Sheng Nian planned to take Yan Feizhuo along to the next check-in spot.
Just then, another electronic OOC warning sounded in his mind.
Sheng Nian was speechless. What was it this time?
After thinking for a long while, he decided Jiang Shu must have grown suspicious because he had not reacted to the intimate photo of Jiang Shu and He Gu.
So instead of rushing to leave with Yan Feizhuo, he stopped at the task check-in spot, picked up the photo, and quietly looked down at it for a while. When he raised his head, he said with a strained smile, "Jiang Shu, so you and He Gu are already holding hands..."
The suspicion in Jiang Shu's eyes immediately turned into a hint of guilt. He opened his mouth but could not get a word out.
Beside him, He Gu, who had been absorbed in figuring out how to attract as many shipping fans as possible during this task, had countless thoughts running through his mind.
What a pity. He had no idea what had happened to Sheng Nian lately; his personality seemed to have changed. Otherwise, with Sheng Nian charging ahead to draw fire from Jiang Shu's fans, his own plan would have been easier.
It seemed he had pushed Sheng Nian too hard, making him think Jiang Shu liked obedient boys, until he no longer dared to cause trouble. No, he would have to find time to talk to Sheng Nian privately, preferably to provoke him into acting like his old self.
Lost in thought, He Gu suddenly heard Sheng Nian's words, "You and He Gu are already holding hands." He snapped back to attention, inwardly alarmed.
"Nian, you've misunderstood. Shu and I are good friends..."
Sheng Nian interrupted before he could finish. "Then you don't like Jiang Shu, right?"
He looked as though he urgently wanted an answer.
He Gu choked at the blunt question. "I..."
"So you do like Jiang Shu after all?"
He Gu clenched his hands. This time, he really was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Jiang Shu was an entertainment superstar with countless girlfriend fans. If he admitted there really was something romantic between them, he might be torn apart by criticism. But if he admitted they were only friends now, how could he keep using Jiang Shu to promote their ship on the show?
Damn it, where had things gone wrong? How had this Sheng Nian suddenly grown a brain?
He had cultivated a pure, innocent image and had always come across well on camera. He could not attract hate at a time like this. It seemed he could only admit they were friends for now. As for promoting their ship, he would have to win Jiang Shu over later and find a way to get Jiang Shu to take the initiative.
With that in mind, He Gu said gently, with a touch of shyness, "Shu and I really are just very good friends. Don't overthink it, Nian."
Sheng Nian paused for a few seconds, glanced at the two of them again, and tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I believe you."
Previously, Sheng Nian's on-screen image had been one of relentlessly pestering Jiang Shu. Seeing him exercise such rare restraint now, even Jiang Shu's fans felt something was off. Could He Gu really be interested in their boy, just as Sheng Nian had said?
Thus, Jiang Shu's fans, who had been camped out in Sheng Nian's livestream to condemn him, flocked to He Gu's livestream instead and rapidly flooded it with comments.
[He Gu has no shame. At least Sheng Nian is open about his feelings for our boy. This guy hides in the shadows and calls them friends. Do you even believe that yourself?]
[An Omega calling an Alpha a very good friend-if that isn't romantic ambiguity, what is???]
[Our poor boy. As if being forced onto a dating show by his agency wasn't enough, he had to run into these two leeches, Sheng Nian and He Gu.]
[He escaped the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's lair. He really has it rough.]
[That's not true. Gu already said they're just friends. You're going too far.]
Although He Gu's fans were already working hard to control the comments, the gap in their numbers was too great. For nearly every hundred comments Jiang Shu's fans posted, He Gu's fans managed only a dozen or so.
Meanwhile, many users on the Star Network chasing the buzz began digging deep into the tangled relationships between Jiang Shu, He Gu, and Sheng Nian, discovering quite a few suspicious details. But Sheng Nian and the others knew nothing about this yet.
Seeing that Sheng Nian seemed about to say something else he had not anticipated, He Gu did not want to linger in this trouble spot. Using the excuse that they needed to hurry with their check-in tasks, he pulled Jiang Shu away.
After they left, Sheng Nian stayed where he was and pretended to be sad for a while longer. In the end, Yan Feizhuo could not bear to see him upset over someone else-even if he was pretending-and pulled him toward the next task location.
[Oh my god, oh my god, look at President Yan. He's been watching Sheng Nian this whole time. Seeing Sheng Nian upset over another Alpha must leave him aching and sad too. I really can't take it!!!]
[Actually, Sheng Nian is pretty nice when he isn't causing trouble. He's good-looking, like a haughty little Ragdoll cat, cute, clingy, and prickly. He's a perfect match for our big shot!]
[Cat characterization! I think if Sheng Nian is a kitten, Boss Yan is a black panther! This is delicious (っ˘ڡ˘ς)]
[Sigh, Sheng Nian, just look at our President Yan. A top-tier Alpha, the head of a top-tier wealthy family, handsome and rich. Isn't he ten thousand times better than Jiang Shu?]
[This love triangle is so damn shippable!]
[Enough. I feel bad for President Yan. Sheng Nian doesn't deserve him!]
And Jiang Shu's fans, having beaten Yan Feizhuo in this love triangle, actually felt a faint sense of pride?
[Ding~ Congratulations, host. You have gained 2% Male Supporting Character Self-Salvation Progress and 200 System Coins. Current progress: 2.4%. Please keep up the good work.]
Hearing the system announcement, Sheng Nian cheered inwardly. This was the first time his progress had increased by a number without a decimal point. Self-Liberation was just around the corner!
Hearing happy humming in his thoughts again, Yan Feizhuo could not help curling his lips.
Before you continue