I really was a beast

Weibo was still bustling late at night.

You Make My Heart Flutter had dominated the trending searches for three days straight. Although Xu Xi's "Copulate" held the top spot today, all the remaining searches were related to the livestream.

#Nan Zhou and Huo Xingye's goodbye kiss#, #Nan Zhou gestures at Lu Zhou#, #Lu Zhou's assessment mistake#, and nearly ten other trending searches proclaimed its status as the winter's hottest variety show with unstoppable force.

As fans of recent trending-search regulars, the Xingzhou CP community was even more active. Everyone was enthusiastically creating content, with fan art, fan fiction, and edited clips flying everywhere.

Suddenly, someone posted a rant in the community, and countless comments from Xingzhou CP fans soon kept it bumped to the top.

"Have you seen the edit those people next door posted? It's disgusting. Are those two even a match?!"

"Holy shit, I'm ready to punch someone. Zhou Bao flipped Lu Zhou off, so how can they still ship them? And they even used 'Summer Flame.' What an insult to that song!"

"What year is it? How are people still shipping such a toxic couple? Are they insane?! They saw our Nan Zhou getting popular and latched on, huh? They're just as disgusting as their master!"

"Are you talking about the other CP community using 'Summer Flame' for a shipping edit?"

"Aaaaaah, those women are crazy! I'm calling the police to arrest them!"

Just half an hour earlier, someone in the Luzhou CP community had posted a tragic-ending video about Lu Zhou and Nan Zhou, using "Summer Flame" as its background song. In the video, Nan Zhou and Lu Zhou were portrayed as a couple who loved each other but couldn't be together.

It was all the company's doing. Lu Zhou had only chosen to promote a pairing with Wen Yu to protect Nan Zhou, and had been forced to hurt him. He actually loved Nan Zhou very much.

The editing quality of the entire video was average, but because "Summer Flame" was so popular right now, and Nan Zhou drew so much traffic, quite a few people still watched it.

The Xingzhou fans were all utterly disgusted by the video and had even started lashing out.

"Zhou Bao in that trash video seems fake. They even say he likes Lu Zhou. Like hell I believe that." "I've dug up quite a few old videos of our Zhou these past couple of days too. Honestly, they're hard to watch. I don't know if it's because of that rat, but even Zhou's looks were so much worse."

"Yes, exactly! I thought it was because of his partner. After all, Film Emperor Huo's god-tier looks are beyond anyone else."

"Why call him Zhou Bao? Starting today, he's my Brother Nan! My Brother Nan stopped being that old Nan Zhou ages ago. After leaving that shitty group, he went back to being himself, and he's ridiculously handsome!"

"Solid proof that trash group bullied him!"

"But with Brother Nan's personality, he doesn't really seem like someone who'd get bullied..."

Discussion filled the community, with everyone speculating about what had caused the change in Nan Zhou's personality.

At around two in the morning, the editor who only appeared late at night posted another edit, also using "Summer Flame," but the video's quality was far better than the one in the Luzhou CP community.

It also had a tragic ending, but in this video, Nan Zhou and Huo Xingye's story was especially beautiful, even keeping up with current events by using Huo Xingye's crime-boss persona.

The story of a crime boss and a minor celebrity, going from coercion to mutual love, ended with the crime boss's death. It froze on the minor celebrity's tearful gaze, drawing floods of tears from the CP fans.

"The Xingzhou CP is blessed to have you!"

"You're our god! Your videos are good for my eyes."

"Say no more. I'm tearfully sending a contribution."

"Damn it, I've been eating so well lately that I actually think there isn't enough footage. Pei Feng, you bastard, can't you film more? Aaaaaah!"

"I heard there might be behind-the-scenes footage, but it's not certain."

The next day, Nan Zhou opened his eyes after waking up and froze for a moment when he saw the Tibetan mastiff plush in his arms.

For the past few days, the Alpha's scent had surrounded him as he slept. It had been very comfortable.

But last night...

Although it carried the Alpha's scent, the plush was still far too small compared with Huo Xingye. Instead of the Alpha holding him, he was now hugging the Tibetan mastiff tightly.

And whether it was because of the song or because his own desire had finally neared its breaking point, he had actually dreamed for the first time in ages.

Nan Zhou lifted the covers.

Nan Zhou: "..."

He pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed heavily. Just as he was about to get up and wash, he noticed that the Tibetan mastiff plush had gotten dirty too.

Nan Zhou's pupils shook. Staring into the plush's clear eyes, he murmured, "I really am a beast."

The doorbell rang just then, startling him.

Immediately afterward, the phone Nan Zhou had left by his bed rang too. It was Hao Jia calling.

Nan Zhou slowly answered, and Hao Jia's booming voice came through at once. "Is our big star up? If you're up, open the door for me."

Nan Zhou said, "I'm not."

"...Then who's talking to me?"

"You're hearing things."

With that, Nan Zhou hung up, grabbed the plush, and dashed into the bathroom.

After hurriedly cleaning himself up, he used wet wipes to give the Tibetan mastiff plush a temporary cleaning, then stuffed it into his suitcase and covered it with several layers of clothing. Only then did Nan Zhou leisurely open the door for Hao Jia.

Hao Jia, who had been left waiting outside for a while, wasn't angry. His face glowing, he immediately began telling Nan Zhou about Lu Zhou's embarrassing incident on the trending searches, not forgetting to mention how popular Nan Zhou was now.

"Oh, right! The magazine you shot a while ago sold out as soon as it went on sale this morning!" Hao Jia announced happily. "Everyone online is saying they can't get a copy and asking for another print run!"

"It might not be a major magazine, but it still shows how popular you are now!"

"Ah, we have our film emperor to thank for all of this. Speaking of which, are you really together with him?" Hao Jia asked.

At the mention of Huo Xingye, Nan Zhou's pupils trembled slightly, and his mind involuntarily returned to last night's dream and this morning's embarrassing state.

He quickly gulped down some of the coffee Hao Jia had brought.

Fortunately, Hao Jia was used to his attitude by now. When he didn't receive an immediate answer, he continued on his own. "Speaking of which, Film Emperor Huo really lives up to his title. His schedule is packed solid. Luo Nan practically works him like a farm animal."

Having just put down his cup, Nan Zhou asked casually, "How busy is he?"

"How busy?" Hao Jia patted the table. "He probably won't even have time to rest in a bed for a while."

Nan Zhou: "..."

"It would've been fine if he hadn't joined this variety show. It's because Luo Nan arranged this show for him that every bit of his time has been squeezed dry lately. Tell me, isn't Luo Nan a beast of an agent?"

Nan Zhou: "..." I'm the beast.

Just a few minutes earlier, he had been thinking about contacting Huo Xingye to ask whether he would be willing to help resolve his physical needs.

Otherwise, if this continued, he was genuinely afraid that when they filmed the variety show together later, he would wake up one morning and find his descendants dead on the other man's body.

That would be social suicide.

But with Hao Jia saying all that, how could he possibly bring it up?

In life, you still had to rely on yourself.

"Oh, right, an endorsement offer came in for you." Hao Jia stood up, looked around the apartment, then went to the door and dug a box out from beneath the shoe cabinet.

Pulling something familiar out of the box, he said to Nan Zhou with a beaming smile, "M Brand's Anti-bite Ring."