I Miss You So Much Here in Shandong

"A marriage show?"

Wei Zisu gaped.

He barely knew his marriage partner any better than a stranger. What would the audience watch if they went on the show?

The strangers who knew each other best?

"Director, roughly when does filming start for this show?"

The director said, "Probably in August. A little over a month from now."

"Oh."

Wei Zisu thought, That works. If Yin Zhengchuan agrees, I'll have to hurry over to Shandong once filming wraps and spend more time getting to know him. We should learn more about each other so we don't end up just staring at each other on the show.

"Director, can I ask Zhengchuan first?"

"Why not? He's not a celebrity, after all. You do need his consent to film a show. Still, I think Xiao Yin's a very easygoing man. He probably won't refuse."

Wei Zisu smiled politely, took out his phone, and opened Yin Zhengchuan's WeChat.

His display name changed every day. Right now, it was "Seven days to go."

Wei Zisu knew he was counting down the days until his trip to Shandong. If filming finished early, as the director had said, he probably wouldn't have to wait seven days. But he couldn't very well tell Yin Zhengchuan something that wasn't certain. What if things changed?

Before he could decide how to ask, that familiar "Typing..." appeared at the top of their chat again.

Wei Zisu smiled and waited for his message.

Yin Zhengchuan sat in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, his phone on the stone table. With the utmost seriousness, he typed, deleted, typed, and deleted, repeating the process over a dozen times.

On his last attempt, he typed, "I miss you so much here in Shandong."

After typing it, he stared at the line and sank into thought. Will saying this make me seem too loose? How will he react when he sees it? Will he find me disgusting?

His index finger moved back and forth as though it were cramping as he agonized over whether to send it.

Suddenly, a hand reached out from behind his ear and decisively pressed send for him!

Yin Zhengchuan jumped in fright. Turning to see his father, Yin Changjun, he cried out in dismay, "Dad, what are you doing?!"

Yin Changjun snorted. "Just looking at you dithering like that pisses me off. You're already married, and you still struggle this much to say something sweet! If I'd been like you back then, someone else would've stolen your dad away long ago. How would you and Baozhu even exist?"

Looking at the message that had already been sent, Yin Zhengchuan felt both worried and excited. He tossed out, "Zisu and I aren't like you two!"

With that, he grabbed his phone and ran.

Yin Changjun shouted after him, "What's so different? Isn't dating all the same? With how slow you are to act and how little initiative you take, all you could do on a battlefield is sit there and get shot!"

Yin Zhengchuan ran back to his courtyard and plunged into his room. Almost two minutes had passed. Had Zisu seen the message or not? He agonized again, this time over whether to unsend it.

Only when the time limit for unsending passed did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Still, he remained uneasy. In the end, he came up with a solution.

He sent over a picture of a street sign bearing the large words "I miss you so much here in Shandong."

He asked, "What do you think of this viral street sign? Should we put one up at our wedding too?"

Even he felt stupid after asking.

Why would they put a street sign at their wedding?!

But Wei Zisu replied instantly, "It's pretty interesting. Arrange it however you like."

Yin Zhengchuan smacked his forehead hard with a loud slap, then cursed himself as a "coward."

Back when he was in the military, what fierce beasts hadn't he encountered during those two-week wilderness training exercises? Yet he had never felt afraid. Even when a python coiled around him while he slept in a tree in the middle of the night, he could cut it apart with his dagger without batting an eye.

So why did he become such a coward whenever Wei Zisu was involved?

He was terrified that one wrong word would annoy or upset him.

Were all alphas like this with their spouses? Afraid and in love, yet still able to find a little sweetness in it.

While Yin Zhengchuan was savoring that sweetness all on his own, Wei Zisu sent him a message.

"I might be filming a variety show in August. Director Zhang recommended it. It's a marriage reality show, and all the invited guests are real married couples."

Yin Zhengchuan was a little dazed. "So..."

Wei Zisu: "Would you be willing to go on it with me?"

Yin Zhengchuan froze for a full ten seconds, then suddenly launched himself straight up, nearly hitting the ceiling.

"Yes!!! He asked me to go on a variety show with him! He doesn't mind me appearing in public! He's willing to acknowledge me!!!"

To him, filming a marriage reality show with Wei Zisu was equivalent to holding a wedding with the whole world watching, telling everyone that they were married, an inseparable couple!

Yin Zhengchuan's vanity was immensely satisfied.

"I do!" Yin Zhengchuan replied.

Wei Zisu: "Great, then I'll let the director know."

"Okay."

Just as Yin Zhengchuan had nowhere to put his excited, thrilled little heart, his younger sister Yin Baozhu suddenly came running over. Wiping away her sweat, she signed, "Brother, when Brother Zisu gets here, can he stay in my courtyard and share my room?"

Yin Zhengchuan: ???

His good mood vanished instantly.

"Why should he?" he roared. "That's my wife! Why should he sleep with you? Did you hit your head skating? How could you ask such an idiotic question!"

Yin Baozhu signed angrily, "Dad said that even when Brother Zisu gets here, you definitely won't dare share a bed with him. In that case, Brother Zisu might as well sleep with me. I like him."

Yin Zhengchuan grew even angrier!

Because his dad had guessed right. He had to admit, no one knew a son better than his father.

He had seriously considered this question. After his wedding with Zisu, how would they sleep at night? He couldn't let Zisu think he was a creep, much less let his family laugh at him. So he thought he could let Zisu have the bed while he slept on the floor. Maybe Zisu would even think he was a gentleman and give him extra points in his heart.

That sort of thing... had to wait until they both wanted it.

But he absolutely couldn't reveal those thoughts in front of Yin Baozhu, because that brat could steal his beautiful wife away at any moment!

"What good does you liking him do? Zisu's coming here to have a wedding with me. What's it got to do with you? Also, here's some good news."

He smugly blew at his bangs and said, "After Zisu and I get married, we're going on a variety show too. The kind of reality show only real married couples can join. It's basically announcing our relationship to the whole world."

Hearing this, Yin Baozhu signed defiantly, "Don't go and embarrass Brother Zisu!"

Yin Zhengchuan said, "Zisu hasn't said anything. What the hell are you getting worked up for? I'm telling you, once Zisu gets here, you'd better behave yourself. Otherwise, I'll call your coach and have you shut up in the gym for training. You won't get out for six months!"

Yin Baozhu felt terribly wronged. She simply couldn't understand why Brother Zisu would marry this sorry excuse for a man.

After thinking for a while, she asked again, "Then can I sleep between you two at night?"

Yin Zhengchuan pointed at the door. "Get as far away from me as you possibly can!"

Yin Baozhu stamped her foot hard in anger and went to complain to his dad.