Someone who was already in a bad mood nearly coughed up blood from anger.
The director could also tell the situation was complicated. He cleared his throat and addressed the livestream camera. "It's getting late, so we'll end today's livestream here. Thank you to everyone watching for your love and support. Bye-bye."
The guests also said goodbye to the viewers.
Soon, the livestream ended, and the atmosphere on set grew even more hostile.
Shen Xinbai and Lou Jun both glared at Xu Chao with ugly expressions, as though he had committed some heinous, unforgivable crime.
Xu Chao tilted his head and asked with interest, "You husbands are glaring at me like we share some mortal feud. What, do you think I arranged for you to take a dump live for the whole internet?"
Lou Jun's entire face turned purple, then blackened. "Who else could it have been?"
Shen Xinbai also said gently, "Chaochao, I don't know what someone told you to make you suddenly hate Lou Jun so much, but I apologize. Can you please stop targeting him?"
His words were both considerate and self-effacing.
Lou Jun was deeply moved. "Xinbai!"
Shen Xinbai's eyes brimmed with tears. "Lou Jun~"
Xu Chao clutched his chest with great exaggeration. "Bleurgh-"
The two, holding hands and gazing into each other's tearful eyes, were struck speechless!
Lou Jun was furious. He raised a hand and pointed at him. "What are you doing?"
Xu Chao was being an absolute menace. "What? Can't I have morning sickness?"
Of course morning sickness was fine!
But he was a man-fine, his ass!
Lou Jun was utterly speechless, while the others couldn't help laughing.
Who had said "Xu Chao" was a stupid, vicious bootlicker? He was clearly an adorable little goofball.
Just then, Fu Sichen, who had barely spoken, suddenly said, "You... think you're worth Chaochao going to the trouble of targeting?"
His deep, cold voice dripped with mockery.
For a moment, the noisy atmosphere on set froze.
Everyone turned to look at him, especially Lou Jun and Shen Xinbai, whose faces were filled with disbelief. They weren't worthy?!
Lou Jun wanted to start cursing, but when he looked up, he saw Fu Sichen's arm wrapped around the young man's waist, holding him almost entirely within his embrace in a thoroughly protective gesture.
Lou Jun's anger lodged in his throat, but he was still wary of Fu Sichen's power and didn't dare openly fall out with him. All he dared do was glare fiercely at thin air!
Shen Xinbai felt even more stifled. That bitch Xu Chao-what made him worth Fu Sichen defending him?!
Hardening his resolve, he gritted his teeth and said outright, "Young Master Fu, don't let Xu Chao fool you. The sweet, sensible way he acts around you is all fake. He's only trying to use you..."
As he watched the man approach, tall, stern, and overwhelmingly imposing, Shen Xinbai's voice grew quieter and quieter until he could no longer make a sound.
"I don't need anyone else to tell me what my Chaochao is like. I can see for myself."
Fu Sichen stopped before the two and leaned slightly closer, yet his bearing only grew more overbearing.
His thin lips parted, his voice cold yet utterly obsessive.
"For Chaochao to use me would be the greatest honor."
"Stay away from him, or I'll kill you both."
As the man's words fell, the two felt as though a cold, sinister snake's tongue had coiled around them. A dark, crushing fear of imminent death invaded every cell in their bodies.
Suddenly, with a thud, Shen Xinbai's legs gave out, and he collapsed to his knees.
Cheng Yu instinctively cried out softly, "Xinbai!"
Fu Sichen turned his head, his dark gaze sweeping over him.
Wen Shiting quickly caught Cheng Yu's arm and smiled at Fu Sichen. "It's been a tiring day for everyone. I'm sure Young Master Xu is tired too. President Fu, why don't you take him back to rest?"
Fu Sichen's expression eased. "You too."
After he spoke, the only sound left was the rustling wind.
Xu Chao obediently let the man lead him toward the tent, his dark eyes darting rapidly beneath his chestnut bangs.
Weird. So weird!
Why had Shen Xinbai suddenly dropped to his knees?
What exactly had Fu Sichen said to those two?
Xu Chao was itching to know, but he was far too scared to say or ask anything.
Only after they entered the tent did he hear a commotion start outside, followed by Lin Yang's furious voice.
"You cheating bastards have the nerve to bring up those poisonous berries? You even have the nerve to turn around and pin all the blame on Chaochao!"
"Chaochao said they were poisonous, poisonous, poisonous! But one of you didn't know his stuff, and the other was lovesick out of his mind, so you insisted on eating them. Spraying shit live for the whole internet was your own doing. You can't blame anyone else. No, wait-if you have to blame someone, blame Shen Xinbai. He found those poisonous berries!"
"Chaochao is the best Chaochao in the world! If you dare slander him again, I'll have my dad blacklist both of you!"
After saying that, he seemed to feel his words didn't carry enough weight and added another line.
"Chaochao's husband will blacklist you too!"
Inside the tent, Xu Chao burst out laughing at what he heard.
The young man's eyes curved with his smile, innocent and adorable.
Fu Sichen stared at him without blinking.
Xu Chao looked back, his smile growing even more genuine.
Although he hadn't caught the last two things Fu Sichen had said, the looks on those two men's faces made it clear that Fu Sichen had thoroughly stood up for him.
He had always been alone, with no family and no friends. When something happened, he bore it himself. When there was a fight, he fought it himself.
But now, two people were sincerely helping him!
Xu Chao said happily, "Big Boss Fu, thank you."
Fu Sichen raised an eyebrow. "What are you thanking me for?"
At that, Xu Chao blinked. "For speaking up for me when Lou Jun and the others were slandering me just now."
After saying that, Xu Chao felt a little embarrassed. His eyes wandered until he spotted the sleeping bag in the middle, and he volunteered.
"I'll get the sleeping bag ready. Let's go to bed early."
"You're my wife."
One voice was deep and magnetic, the other bright and lively. The two voices sounded at the same time, somehow carrying a hint of intimacy, like a pair of sweetly besotted newlywed husbands.
Xu Chao's cheeks instantly turned scarlet. The sleeping bag in his hands suddenly felt unbearably hot, and he flung it away.
Seeing this, a trace of amusement flashed through Fu Sichen's dark eyes.
He took a long-legged step forward, bent his knees to crouch beside Xu Chao, and took his hand to arrange the sleeping bag together.
Wait, wait, wait.
What was going on now?
Wasn't he supposed to skin me alive? Why was he holding my hand?!
Tiny beads of nervous sweat appeared on Xu Chao's forehead. He tried to pull his hand away, but the man held it extremely tightly.
The more he struggled, the harder it was to escape.
But in truth, there was hardly anything to arrange with a sleeping bag.
All they had to do was open it, lay it flat, and crawl inside.
So, while Xu Chao was still struggling to free his hand, he was suddenly scooped up and laid inside the sleeping bag.
The man's crisp cedar scent surrounded him.
Xu Chao immediately grew nervous and instinctively tried to pull open the sleeping bag and escape.
But the moment he moved, the man wrapped an arm around his waist and held him tightly against his chest, his voice low. "Sleep."
With a thump, Xu Chao fell straight into the man's embrace.
Xu Chao's hand touched the man's exposed skin. It felt icy, cold to the extreme.
Xu Chao froze.
Actually, he had noticed it last time.
Fu Sichen's body temperature was very low, nothing like a normal person's.
Humans were warm-blooded animals. No matter how high or low the temperature outside was, their bodies maintained a constant temperature between thirty-six and thirty-seven degrees Celsius.
Xu Chao's heart immediately rose into his throat. He asked softly and cautiously, "Big Boss Fu, are you sick?"
Fu Sichen lowered his eyes to meet the young man's worried gaze and replied without a change of expression, "No."
Then why was his body temperature so low?
Xu Chao only dared mutter that question to himself. What he asked aloud was, "Are you cold?"
"Yes," Fu Sichen answered without hesitation.
Without the slightest hesitation, Xu Chao threw his arms around the man, wrapping both arms and legs around him like an octopus.
Fu Sichen chuckled.
Xu Chao felt inexplicably embarrassed by his own actions. His mind raced as he found himself a perfectly respectable excuse.
"M-my body temperature is really high. I can warm you up. Really, every winter, everyone loves me. They all fight over who gets to hug me. They say I'm like a little furnace, all nice and warm."
"Who hugged you?" Ice blades suddenly laced the man's warm voice.
Before you continue