Jiang Lele: Or, maybe you were the one who dumped Chi Li?
Jiang Lele: [Angry][Angry][Angry]
Shen Xunye: "...?"
Okay. It seems something significant happened while he was asleep.
He hurriedly replied to Jiang Lele with "We haven't broken up," and then switched to something else to find out what was going on.
After getting a general idea of the situation and clicking away the messages that were either caring or sarcastic, Shen Xunye finally opened the chat window with Chi Li.
Seeing the two listless kittens' expressions, he couldn't help but laugh.
Whose beautiful kitten is this?
If no one claims it, I'll take it with me.
[Image of a dog acting suspiciously.]
Chi Li quickly replied: So you actually woke up?
Chi Li: I'm going to be nailed to the pillar of shame for being a heartless man.
There are far more people who feel sorry for Shen Xunye than he imagined.
Shen Xunye: Then I'll carry you down.
Chi Li: [Kitten pouting. jpg]
Chi Li: Not interested!
Shen Xunye: QAQ
After calming the irritated kitten for a while, the two teams reached a consensus.
Since publicly revealing their relationship is not an option for now, the only recourse is to publicly acknowledge Shen Qiang and Shen Xunye's brotherly relationship.
Around 1 p. m., Shen Qiang posted on Weibo.
[Just giving someone a ride home as a favor. [Shrugs]]
We're brothers on the same household registration; I wouldn't do something so immoral.
P. S.: It was just a joke before. ^_^
The accompanying photo shows him with Shen Xunye, who is clearly only a teenager.
The online community, which had been discussing the topic all morning, flooded in with comments, which appeared at breakneck speed.
-[So Night Ashes Dawn are really definitely happening, right?]
-[I said before, if the Shen-Chi couple is real, they should be sent back to the hotel in the morning, not at night!]
Why did Shen Xunye leave the show?
Shen Qiang replied to this message: "[My male chauvinism is acting up; I feel I'm not good enough for her yet.]"
"Brother, don't you have any selfish motives at all? I don't believe you. [Surprised]"
--[I admire him, but he's not my ideal type.]
Actually, it wouldn't be bad for the two brothers to be together.
I knew my wife wasn't a heartless man!
-[ Shen Xunye left the show because he wasn't satisfied with just being a simple couple and wanted to move things into a real-life relationship...]
--[Obviously. I wish him success.]
-[ Chi Li's misfortune was entirely undeserved. [laughing and crying emoji]]
-[That's true, there's nothing wrong with who he dates... Most couples are fake anyway! Calling him a heartless man is really strange.]
-[If you ask me, the best thing is when people are actually trying to turn a couple into a real-life couple. [Smirk]]
-[The god of the Shen-Chi, who says he can't be my, Shen Xunye's, shen?! [Cool]]
[Let me make this clear first: if you can't win Shen Xunye, don't blame my wife!]
Under Shen Qiang's guidance, most viewers have come to believe the narrative that " Shen Xunye has fallen in love with the business couple, feels unworthy of them, and wants to improve himself in order to better pursue Chi Li."
Jiang Lele used the pretext of delivering food to gain access to Shen Xunye's room.
Chi Li wasn't wallowing in self-pity in his room; he was looking through past magazine cover stories for the shoot he'd be doing tomorrow.
" Chi Li, I brought you your food." Jiang Lele eagerly laid out the takeout box and then opened it. "It's all your favorite food."
Shen Xunye ordered the food and asked him to bring it up.
Seeing his awkward yet feigned nonchalance, Chi Li took the initiative to speak, "Ask me anything you want to know, I won't hide anything from you."
After spending so much time together and getting to know her personality, he could indeed consider Jiang Lele as one of his own.
"Oh..." Jiang Lele placed her chopsticks next to him and said somewhat awkwardly, "Did you already know that those two were brothers?"
"Yes. I knew when he helped me out of that situation before." Chi Li nodded slightly. "Otherwise, did you really think that your idol could fall for me just based on a few photos and videos?"
Jiang Lele leaned closer and carefully examined Chi Li's face, then said somewhat bewilderedly, "... Falling in love, isn't that just human nature?"
Chi Li chuckled, "... You seem to have some strange filter on me."
He still vividly remembered how this person, when acting like a 'green tea b*tch,' looked down on him, deeming him neither a nose nor an eye.
"Hehe." Jiang Lele chuckled twice, "Your place in my heart is indeed almost catching up with Shen Qiang's."
The reason I haven't caught up yet is probably because... I'm too familiar with it.
It's better for idols to maintain some distance from their fans.
" Shen Qiang would probably faint from anger if he heard what you said."
"He understands Shen Xunye, so he'll definitely understand me too." Jiang Lele dragged a chair over and sat down, completely absorbed in watching Chi Li's elegant mukbang. "... I have something else to ask."
Chi Li took a sip of soup. "Ask away."
"You and Shen Xunye aren't in a relationship of pursuit and being pursued..." Jiang Lele asked, already having the answer in mind. "You're already together, aren't you?"
He just wanted to hear a positive answer from Chi Li.
"... Hmm." Chi Li somewhat surprised, "How did you figure that out?"
"I didn't figure it out," Jiang Lele pouted and explained, "It was when my idol came to be a rental member that he bumped into you guys one night... I overheard something then."
"... Is that so?" Chi Li tilted his head and thought for a moment.
He remembered bumping into Jiang Lele, but he couldn't recall saying anything that could be misinterpreted as a romantic relationship...
He wasn't even dating Shen Xunye then! How could he possibly say anything that could be misunderstood?
Seeing that Chi Li seemed to have completely forgotten, Jiang Lele was too embarrassed to bring it up, so she vaguely said, "... Oh well, it's okay if you don't remember. Anyway... I think it's a good thing that he left the show."
The words I heard from Chi Li that night echoed in my mind again—
"You always take so long, but it's so late now. If you keep going like this, I definitely won't be able to get up."
If Shen Xunye doesn't back down, he'll have to worry about whether Chi Li's body can handle it...
"It's good..." Chi Li slowed her chewing, a sudden, inexplicable feeling of grievance welling up inside her. "But I miss him a little right now."
He didn't realize the pain of separation when they could see each other anytime, anywhere. But now that he longs to see each other but can't, he understands just how agonizing longing can be.
... We've only been apart for less than a day.
On the other side, Chen Anyan found Xie Weishui, who was watering Chi Li's vegetable garden, and pulled her out of the camera's view.
"I understand you a little now," Chen Anyan said abruptly, leaning against a tree.
Xie Weishui felt utterly bewildered. "I don't need your understanding."
"Watching your own popularity being so easily stolen is a truly unpleasant feeling," Chen Anyan chuckled. "Nobody remembers me from yesterday anymore."