A Trip to the Hospital

But after the shout, Xu Chao replied leisurely, "Comrade Cheng Yu, don't forget we're on Fake Husband and Wife. This is a dating show."

Cheng Yu was dumbfounded. Maybe, probably, that did seem to be the case.

Before joining the show, every guest had signed a contract.

One particularly important clause stated that while the show was airing, whether on or off camera, both parties had to maintain their married-couple personas. They could only reveal everything once the show ended.

The next second, Xu Chao immediately ran off.

"Director! Director! I'd like to report someone admitting he's single! He's violated the show's contract. Hurry up and punish him!"

Cheng Yu: "..." Aaaah! He was going to die of anger.

Still, after Xu Chao's antics, the guilt in Cheng Yu's heart did ease a little, and he stopped dwelling constantly on betraying his friend.

The director found the two of them too noisy and simply took everyone back to the hotel. But since Shen Xinbai was still giving his statement and hadn't come out, he specifically left an assistant director to wait. Lou Jun also volunteered to stay.

As for why Shen Xinbai still hadn't left the interview room?

The reason was simple enough. In a nutshell, he'd shot himself in the foot.

At first, he'd only wanted to hint to the police that there was something wrong with Xu Chao, only to discover in the end that he was the one with a problem.

Because his explanations for how he'd discovered the traces left by those mercenaries, why he'd followed those traces, and why he'd led the mercenaries to find Xu Chao and the others... didn't really hold up.

Then he fell into an endless cycle of being questioned, explaining himself, being questioned, and explaining himself.

Everyone returned to the hotel the production team had booked in advance.

Wen Shiting immediately said he'd reserved dinner beforehand and suggested everyone eat before going back to rest.

Although he ostensibly wanted to reward everyone for their hard work filming, this meal was actually a special thank-you to Xu Chao and Fu Sichen. Without those two, it was anyone's guess whether they could have returned in one piece today.

Dinner was a lavish affair, with every kind of land and sea delicacy, including sea cucumbers and abalone. The guests, who had gone hungry for days, didn't stand on ceremony and ate to their hearts' content.

After dinner, they all returned to their rooms with round, bulging bellies.

Xu Chao took his key card and prepared to swipe into his room.

Fu Sichen's room was next door to theirs.

As the two swiped their cards to enter, a shout suddenly came from behind them.

Cheng Yu's voice was loud, clear, and commanding.

"Director, I'd like to report them! They're not honoring the contract! For the duration of the Real and Fake Husbands Program, we're supposed to act like real husbands even off camera. They went into two separate rooms. That's a breach of contract!"

Xu Chao: "..." The boomerang had suddenly hit him instead.

Fu Sichen smoothly changed direction. As he walked toward Xu Chao, he tossed his key card to Cheng Yu. "Thanks for the reminder."

Cheng Yu fumbled to catch the card and reflexively answered, "Ah, y-you're welcome."

Then he watched helplessly as Xu Chao and Fu Sichen entered the same room.

He'd clearly gotten one over on Xu Chao, yet he didn't feel particularly satisfied. Instead, it felt like he'd done someone else a favor.

As he was thinking this, someone plucked both key cards from his hand. Wen Shiting smiled faintly and said, "Come on, let's go back to our room. It's been an exhausting few days. Let's get some rest early tonight."

Cheng Yu hurriedly called out, "Then why are you taking my key card?"

Wen Shiting tilted his head and smiled at him. "Do you want Xu Chao to turn around and report you?"

They were all guests on the show. If Xu Chao and Fu Sichen had to follow the production team's unspoken rules, naturally, so did they.

Cheng Yu's mouth twitched. Fine, he finally knew why he felt so dissatisfied. He'd shot himself in the foot, hurting himself almost as much as his opponent!

Seeing this, Zhou Nan immediately looked at Lin Yang. "Yangyang, we..."

Lin Yang's smile was a little strained. "Chaochao's my best buddy. He won't report me, so don't worry."

Zhou Nan was a little speechless, but still put on a gentle, doting smile. "It's not just because of that. I just want to be with you..."

"Oh, right! My dad's looking for me. I'd better call him back. I'm heading to my room!" With that, he invoked his rescuer and hurriedly swiped his card to get inside.

How could he not hear what Zhou Nan was implying?

But right now, he was genuinely afraid of being alone in a room with Zhou Nan.

He couldn't tell whether the affection in Zhou Nan's words was real or fake, or whether, once they entered the same room, Zhou Nan would throw him out like he had that night.

Meanwhile, in Xu Chao and Fu Sichen's room.

Xu Chao belatedly grew angry. "That brat Cheng Yu! I shouldn't have bothered saving him. Now he's turned around and schemed against me!"

Looking at the indignant Xu Chao, Fu Sichen suddenly asked, "You don't want to sleep in the same room as me?"

Now that was a loaded question!

One slightly wrong answer could leave him facing the agony of being flayed alive!

The danger radar in Xu Chao's mind rang furiously.

His bootlicker instincts fully awakened.

"Of course not! I love you most, hubby. How could I not want to share a room with you? I just can't stand Cheng Yu's little tricks..."

Before he could finish, a casual remark from Fu Sichen cut off everything else he had to say.

"Mm. Go warm the bed."

Xu Chao: "..."

"I'm going to shower." With that, Fu Sichen started toward the bathroom first, then stopped. "Or shall we shower together?"

Shower together.

An image of the two of them doing this and that immediately surfaced before his eyes.

Xu Chao felt a rush of heat about to gush out.

He whipped a hand up to cover his nose and turned around in a fluster. "N-no, I don't like showering. I really don't like showering. You shower by yourself. I'll go warm the bed."

With that, as though afraid the man would drag him into a shared bath, Xu Chao hurried toward the bed. Only when he got there did he realize he was still wearing the camouflage uniform from filming. After three days of scrambling through dirt and mud, he was practically a little mud man.

How was he supposed to warm the bed like this?

His footsteps faltered, then he hurried outside with his head down. "I'll borrow the bathroom next door for a shower."

Whose bathroom next door?

Cheng Yu's, Lin Yang's, or Wen Shiting's?

A flash of hostility crossed the man's eyes. He reached out with his long arm, caught the young man's slender, soft waist, and carried him into the bathroom in a few long strides.

"You shower here," Fu Sichen said.

Xu Chao covered his nose even more tightly, his voice sounding a little muffled. "Then where will you go?"

Fu Sichen took a deep breath and said with restraint, "I'll go next door."

Xu Chao: "..."

Well, well. One rule for Xu Zhou and another for everyone else.

Xu Chao turned and entered the bathroom, wanting to criticize the man a little more. But when he turned his head, he saw two bright red trails hanging beneath his nose in the mirror...

Holy shit, he had a nosebleed.

Just fantasizing about Fu Sichen naked had given him a nosebleed!

Xu Chao, could you have some self-respect? What was there to get a nosebleed over?

Cursing himself for being so pathetic, Xu Chao stripped naked and showered. When he came out, still fuming, he saw Fu Sichen happen to return from outside. The man wore only a bath towel, heat still rising from his body as beads of sweat trickled down the contours of his skin...

Xu Chao turned around and plunged back into the bathroom. Water rushed noisily, and his nose wouldn't stop bleeding.

Just then, Fu Sichen knocked on the door to ask what was going on.

Xu Chao instantly panicked even more, then lost his footing and fell to the floor.

Hearing the noise, Fu Sichen could no longer stay calm. He pushed the door open and saw the young man lying naked on the floor, blood covering his chin and chest.

Fu Sichen's eyes instantly reddened. "Chaochao!"

Xu Chao was mortified. "I-I'm fine. I just fell."

Fu Sichen rushed over. "I'm taking you to the hospital!"

Xu Chao was about to say it was hardly worth going to the hospital over, but suddenly realized that if he slept in the same bed as Fu Sichen tonight, he might bleed nonstop.

Xu Chao immediately surrendered. "Okay, okay, take me to the hospital. But put some clothes on me first!"

In the end, he did get dressed, though he was also wrapped in a bath towel.

That midnight, a trending topic rapidly went viral.

#HospitalizedAfterPassionIgnites

#BathroomBattle

[Oh my god, why's he suddenly in the hospital?]

[Xu Chao looked as strong as an ox those days in the group. How did he end up being sent to the hospital as soon as he got back to the hotel?]

[Young Master Fu and Chaochao were just too fired up. Things got too heated.]

[But whatever the case, Young Master Fu went too far, didn't he? He actually played with him until he landed in the hospital!]

[I still really hate Xu Chao, but right now I have to call Fu Sichen out. You're no man!]

These scandalous trending topics prompted all sorts of reactions.

Shen Xinbai had just left the interview room when he saw this good news and immediately burst into delighted laughter.

Lin Yang, Cheng Yu, and the others, on the other hand, were extremely worried.

Even Old Master Fu, far away in Jingshi, couldn't resist making a video call.

When the video call came through, Fu Sichen was patiently listening to the doctor explain Xu Chao's condition.

"Grandpa, I'm busy. I'll call you back later."

Old Master Fu roared, his voice full of vigor, "Busy with what? You think I don't know what you've done? You've really outdone yourself, you little bastard! How did our Fu family produce someone like you?"

Fu Sichen was baffled, but still said patiently, "Grandpa, whatever it is, let's talk later. I'm busy right now."

"Busy with what? Give Chaochao the phone! I want to hear him speak. If anything happens to Chaochao, I'll never let you off!" Old Master Fu shouted, leaning on his cane.

Xu Chao lay obediently in bed, snugly wrapped in the blanket with only his fluffy little head showing.

He blinked in surprise and spoke up. "Grandpa, Chaochao's right here. I'm perfectly fine."

Fu Sichen looked at his grandfather, who was bristling with anger on the screen, then at the little head sticking out over there. His lips curved helplessly as he handed Xu Chao the phone.

"Keep Grandpa company for a while. I'll go outside and talk to the doctor."

Xu Chao obediently nodded his little head. A trace of guilt seemed to flash through his rapidly blinking eyes. "Go on, go on. I'll wait here for you."

Fu Sichen turned to leave, but couldn't help rubbing the young man's fluffy head with his large hand.

Xu Chao's cheeks couldn't help reddening again.

At this moment, Old Master Fu cleared his throat. "Chaochao, don't let that brat Sichen win you over with a tiny bit of kindness. You can't spoil him. Men need a beating or a scolding when they deserve one..."

Xu Chao sucked in a breath. Old Master Fu certainly talked big, but would he dare?

The original host hadn't hit or scolded him. He'd only cheated on him, and he'd been sentenced to death by a thousand cuts.

If he dared hit or scold him, even being torn apart by five horses wouldn't be enough!

So Xu Chao smiled awkwardly. "Mm-hmm, okay, okay. Whatever you say, Grandpa."

Then the old man said awkwardly, "Well, Chaochao, I just called Old Zhao and told him to fly over to treat you. His plane will arrive in two hours. Hang in there for now."

Old Zhao was that Medical Sage.

In the original novel, Shen Xinbai had once suffered a fatal injury, and it was this very Elder Zhao who had saved him.

And now he was being brought in to treat him.

Wasn't it just a nosebleed? Was it really that serious?

He opened his phone, took one look, and felt as though the sky had gone dark!

What bathroom play?

What did they mean, he'd been played with until he landed in the hospital?

What horrific sight?

What on earth were these netizens fantasizing about?

Xu Chao angrily tapped into the trending topic and was caught off guard by footage of Fu Sichen carrying him bridal-style.

The man's brows were slightly furrowed, his handsome face full of anxiety and concern.

Was Fu Sichen worried about him?

As this realization sank in, his heart suddenly trembled, and a poignant, tingling feeling welled up.

But the next second, every emotion inside Xu Chao turned into, Holy shit, did these people grow up eating pornographic garbage?

[Oh my god, I feel so bad for him. Xu Chao actually got played with until he landed in the hospital. That's awful.]

[Well, that's what happens when you marry above your station. Who knows how wild those rich, powerful people get behind closed doors?]

[What a joke. They acted all sweet and loving on the show, but this is what they're like behind the scenes.]

[Tsk, tsk. Fu Sichen's a little too inhuman.]

[Aww, poor little Xu Chao's lying in the hospital crying. That's what happens when you marry up.]

Who was lying in the hospital?

Oh, he actually was.

But he certainly wasn't hiding under the covers crying.

Besides, he was perfectly healthy, without a single injury.

These people were awful. It was bad enough that they slandered his pure bootlicker relationship with Fu Sichen, but they were slandering Fu Sichen too!

True, when he'd read the novel before, he'd also thought Fu Sichen was no good: dark, unhinged, and particularly cruel.

But after transmigrating into the book and interacting with Fu Sichen up close, he'd discovered he wasn't like that at all.

Fu Sichen was handsome, kind, gentle, and considerate. He would never do that sort of thing to him.

Buttocks Cool in the Breeze: Your daddy's doing just fine. I'm in fantastic health. And stop slandering my husband!

[Ooh, look, Xu Chao's covering for his husband again for money.]

[Man, I'm genuinely starting to feel sorry for Xu Chao. He's been treated so horribly, yet he still has to come out and speak up for him.]

[Xu Chao's sacrificing way too much.]

[Baby Chaochao, you don't have to defend that scumbag. We all know you've suffered.]

Xu Chao was utterly speechless. What was wrong with these netizens? There was no getting through to them.

Since words wouldn't get through to them, he'd simply take action.

So Xu Chao immediately started a livestream.