"As long as everything's fine." Chi Li stretched languidly. "It was so boring here without you today."
Xie Weishui: "..."
How did this guy have the nerve to say that?
[Redefining boring.]
[It really was boring. [Nods] All the excitement was elsewhere...]
[That whole scene this afternoon scared me to death. Thank goodness my baby won back a round with his face. [Heart]]
[But... do you think what Shen Qiang said was true? Or was it PR?]
[Who does Chi Li think he is, getting Shen Qiang to do PR for him?]
[But... Shen Qiang is old...]
[Exactly! How dare a 27-year-old tree covet a little seedling who isn't even twenty?]
[Stop talking about it! Watch out, or the top star's fans will invade again. [Pats chest]]
"Really?" Xie Weishui maintained his usual smile. "If I'd known you were bored, I would've come back sooner."
He should have come back sooner!
If he'd come back sooner, he could have seen for himself what Chi Li looked like after getting flamed, and personally expressed his "concern."
But who could have imagined this guy would turn things around so quickly?
Even something as absurd as Shen Qiang personally declaring his interest had happened...
Now... he was the one on the receiving end of concern. How very ironic.
The only consolation Xie Weishui had was that Shen Qiang's little stunt had brought Raising House quite a bit more attention.
Although most of these people had come to see Chi Li, there was no telling whether their gazes were friendly or hostile.
There was a very good chance he could win over these newcomers-especially the viewers who bore ill will toward Chi Li...
So the script that followed was crucial. He had to pull himself together soon.
"Want to hang out together later, then?" Chi Li asked Xie Weishui, tilting his head.
"No." Xie Weishui wanted to save himself some energy. "I'd like to rest a little longer."
Of course, Chi Li didn't push him. "Okay."
Because of the uproar that afternoon, none of the residents of Raising House had done much in the way of major activities.
They had either holed up in their rooms writing songs or watching movies, or done some little craft projects or played games.
Once they learned the matter had been resolved, they practically all emerged from their cages at once.
In the time it took Chi Li to wash an apple at the drinks bar, two people had appeared in front of him.
"I need to get a good look at you over the next few days." Gao Yuan sat on a tall stool outside the drinks bar, his face cupped in both hands as he stared unblinkingly at Chi Li. "I'll build up my aesthetic sense along with Movie King Shen."
Beside him, Jiang Lele looked genuinely happy for Chi Li. "Hey, do you think Movie King Shen might be watching our show right now?"
Knowing that Shen Qiang was most likely just teasing his younger brother, Chi Li naturally didn't dare get full of himself.
He shook the water off his apple and said modestly, "Mr. Shen was probably only joking. You can't take it seriously."
"But he only joked with you." Jiang Lele now acted like Chi Li's best friend of many years. "Doesn't that tell you something?"
Gao Yuan said nothing, but secretly nodded twice.
"Can you stop being so shallow?" Zhou Yang's voice came from behind them. "Just because Shen Qiang likes Chi Li, does Chi Li have to be overwhelmed by the honor and accept his affection?"
Chi Li took a small bite of his apple and, for once, didn't argue with Zhou Yang.
It wasn't that he didn't respect Shen Qiang.
He just wanted to remind the inexperienced viewers in front of their screens not to view powerful people through a special filter, or get smug over an offhand compliment from them.
[That's true. Those of us who just arrived, let's watch politely and not pressure the little newcomer.]
[Shit... as a Shen Qiang girlfriend fan, I definitely don't want him getting involved with this Chi Li, but if Shen Qiang expressed interest and got rejected... I don't think I could really accept that either. [Smile]]
[Have Shen's fans already started fighting with their own brains?]
[Career fan here, secretly assessing our sister-in-law. [Observing in secret] If he doesn't make the grade, I definitely won't approve.]
[What the fuck, where did you people come from? How dare you start making demands of my wife!]
[My wife is young and beautiful. He's more than good enough for two Shen Qiangs!]
[Haha, Shen's fans should talk less on someone else's home turf. Whether it works out still depends on whether Shen Qiang puts in the effort.]
"But that's Shen Qiang..." Jiang Lele pursed his lips. "Who could resist Shen Qiang's charm?"
Zhou Yang puffed out his chest. "I could."
"Shen Qiang wouldn't even bother turning his charm on you." Gao Yuan looked Zhou Yang up and down, his entire face expressing disdain.
"All right." Chi Li spoke up to stop them. "Let's not talk about this anymore."
Although the production team would surely love this topic, the whole thing wasn't real to begin with. He couldn't let it spread any further.
"Exactly." Zhou Yang lifted his backside and shifted onto a tall stool. "We're not bad ourselves."
Jiang Lele rolled his eyes at him. "Where do you get the nerve to say that? So average, yet so confident."
Zhou Yang was unapologetic. "We're all men. It's not like I'm missing any organs he has!"
Gao Yuan: "...So that's a comparison you can make too."
"Get your owner to take you to be neutered soon," Chi Li suddenly jabbed at him. "Then you won't go around pissing everywhere."
[Is this my delicate little white flower of a sister-in-law? [Stares blankly]]
[Uncle Shen might not be able to handle this temper... [Worried]]
[LMAO, he calmly posted fanservice photos in the eye of the storm. Why would you think he was a delicate little white flower?]
[Shen Qiang slowly leaves the livestream.]
[Anyone who doesn't like it can get lost! I love my wife's venomous little mouth.]
[A venomous little mouth like that should be stuffed full... so he can't get a single word out.]
[Hey-this is a civilized place. Watch what you say!]
"Hahaha..." He was leaving soon anyway, so Gao Yuan couldn't be bothered to keep up the act. "Some people really do love bringing humiliation on themselves."
Jiang Lele joined in as well. "Your owner's back too, right? Aren't you going to find him?"
The three of them took turns chiming in until Zhou Yang's entire face was red with anger.
"I'm... I'm not a dog!" Unable to bear it any longer, he stressed, "I'm a man!"
Chi Li chewed his apple carefully and asked with an innocent expression, "Can't men be neutered?"
Jiang Lele: "Why couldn't they?"
Zhou Yang: "..."
He gritted his teeth. "...Chi Li!"
Chi Li immediately drew a line between them. "I'm not your owner. Don't call for me."
Zhou Yang: "..."
Gao Yuan was beside himself with delight. "Chi Li, would you poison yourself to death if you licked your lips?"
Chi Li had already eaten a little less than half of the apple in his hand. As he walked away, he said, "I've been poisonous since I was little. I've built up a resistance."
Jiang Lele hurried after him. "I really want to learn how to talk like you."
"What's there to learn?" Chi Li gave him a strange look. "...You actually know how. You're just worried about this and that, so you don't really dare say it."
After all, an entertainer's persona wasn't so easy to change.