"Why do I know?" Chi Li looked toward the two in the corner who hadn't spoken this round. "Because I'm that friend."
[Holy shit!! What does that mean?]
[No wonder what CP was saying felt so familiar to me too... so the "I" in her story was Fang Jin?]
[Hahahaha, I can't stop laughing when I think about how long those guys spent trashing the "boyfriend" (Xie Weishui).]
[Holy shit, I didn't think there was anything wrong with Xie Weishui's behavior before, but putting him in that role... he's seriously unforgivable!]
[Did a shipper turn into an anti?]
[Jinshui is just a CP. There's no need to treat it like such a serious relationship problem, right?]
[More than Xie Weishui, I want to curse out Zhou Yang for saying that.]
[Exactly. No wonder my wife can't stand him. Who knows how much of a freak he is in private!]
"You're that friend?" The bullet comments had more or less figured it out, but Gao Yuan was still confused.
"Haha... really?" CP didn't confirm that Chi Li was that friend, either, still immersed in her own emotions. "But regardless of whether we break up, I want to ask: how can someone abandon a person they've been with for so long and turn around to flirt with someone new?"
Without waiting for anyone else to speak, CP called on someone directly. "Xie Weishui, please answer that question."
Now, even the others and the viewers who were still half-confused understood in an instant.
So this "relationship problem" really was Fang Jin's!
The camera immediately cut to Xie Weishui.
The corners of his mouth moved, but he didn't answer.
"Does everyone really get tired of the old and crave the new?" CP demanded, revealing her identity as a Jinshui CP fan. "It's not that I can't accept you making friends with people other than Fang Jin, but I can't accept you putting them on the same level. Even as a friend, he should be the most special one, shouldn't he?"
Zhou Yang finally realized this involved him too and immediately stepped forward to defend himself. "What, so whoever comes later is supposed to be inferior?"
"Shut up." CP had no desire to engage with the third party in her ship and continued directing her words at Xie Weishui. "Please answer, Xie Weishui."
"I think..." With one piece of bad news piled on another, Xie Weishui was starting to lose his patience too. "I have no obligation to take responsibility for things you've imagined."
He was already annoyed that he'd spent money only to benefit Chi Li, and now an idiot like this had come along to stir things up, making him even more annoyed.
He didn't even want to hide the irritation in his voice.
CP lost her composure. "You're saying Jinshui CP is something we imagined? Doesn't your conscience hurt when you say that?"
[Holy shit, that's a bit too hurtful, isn't it?]
[Imagined? You're making yourself sound way too pure and innocent, pretty boy. If you hadn't deliberately encouraged it before, constantly saying ambiguous things, would the shippers have gotten so genuinely invested?]
[How about listening to what you said back in the early days, Xie Weishui? [smile] You really are number one at forgetting your roots!]
[If Xie Weishui's conscience doesn't hurt, it's because he doesn't have one.]
[I always thought this guy was seriously underhanded. Finally, I get to watch him crash and burn!]
"Why should it hurt?" A mocking smile appeared on Xie Weishui's face. "We're not actually a couple. I haven't cheated, and I haven't been two-timing anyone. Why should it hurt?"
"You-" Although most shippers knew their CP wasn't real, hearing one of the people involved deny it in person was still an enormous blow. "How could you say that...?"
"I didn't want to say that either..." Catching sight of the bullet comments drifting across the big screen, Xie Weishui began regaining his reason and trying to walk it back. "What happened between us can't be explained in a sentence or two. Could you be patient and wait a little longer?"
"Boo-hoo..." CP began quietly sobbing in distress.
Gao Yuan quickly called on someone. "Fang Jin, comfort her."
Fang Jin spoke unhurriedly. "Don't be sad. A man who makes you sad isn't a good man, and a CP that makes you sad isn't a good CP. If it doesn't work, why not switch to another one?"
The corners of Xie Weishui's mouth twitched twice, but in the end, he held back his retort to Fang Jin.
"Oh, right..." Realization dawned on CP. "There are countless great ships in this world. Why should I make things hard for myself?"
"Haha, glad you've figured it out. Glad you've figured it out." Gao Yuan was very relieved too. "Then shall we leave it here? I hope you find a CP you like soon!"
"I already have." CP recovered at remarkable speed. "Could you let my CP get a little closer?"
"Huh??" Gao Yuan was full of questions. "You-you've already found one?"
Wei Xuan looked around. "From the sound of it, her CP is right here."
"All right." Gao Yuan agreed. "Then tell us, which pair is your CP? And how would you like them to get closer?"
"Hehehe..." CP let out a lecherous giggle. "Night Ashes Dawn... please stand up."
Chi Li: "..."
[So far, my wife has participated in every single team fight.]
[Aaaaaah, Night Ashes Dawn is real! Push their heads together and make them kiss! Make them kiss!]
[↑You sure know how to dream.]
"Night Ashes Dawn." Shen Xunye repeated the name, then asked Chi Li in feigned confusion, "Who's that supposed to be?"
"Me and you." Chi Li couldn't be bothered to play dumb with him.
Realization dawned on Shen Xunye. "Ah... me and you."
Chi Li shot him a sidelong glance. "What about it?"
"Good taste," Shen Xunye answered with a smile.
"Aaaaaah, I'm dying from this ship." Watching their natural interaction, CP screamed. "I hereby declare that all my pain has been healed in this very instant!"
"Healed just like that?" Shen Xunye raised an eyebrow, a trace of dissatisfaction in his words. "We haven't even gotten close yet."
CP was practically bubbling with happiness. "Please get nice and close! I'm begging you!"
Shen Xunye stood up and extended his right hand toward Chi Li. "Come on, Chi Li, our most doting star when it comes to fans?"
The instant Chi Li put his hand in his, Shen Xunye gripped it tightly.
He used that support to stand up and casually tugged up the corner of his mouth. "So, our Shen Xunye has an idea?"
"I do."
Without explaining further, Shen Xunye immediately let go and bent down, sliding an arm beneath Chi Li's knees, his palm securely supporting the backs of his thighs.
His other hand wrapped around Chi Li's back, his fingers braced beneath his shoulder blade.
Then he straightened, sweeping him up into a princess carry.
Chi Li sank completely into his arms.
Amid CP's screams, the fingers of Shen Xunye's hand beneath his knees unconsciously rubbed twice, pressing right against his sensitive inner thigh.
Chi Li instantly stiffened.
Shen Xunye hefted him a little higher, settling him more comfortably in his arms.