[ Hu Zhiyuan seems like an honest and reliable guy, but who knew he had such a quirky habit? You really can't judge a book by its cover!]
Shang Shujue's words instantly put Hu Zhiyuan at the center of gossip. He paused for a moment, racking his brain before finally remembering what that little quirk was.
Seriously? They don't even let go of this kind of gossip? Don't they have any privacy at all? Just thinking about his little quirk makes Hu Zhiyuan feel instantly ashamed in front of Li Ru, Zheng Jiaye, and Zhou Wangqi.
Hu Zhiyuan felt the subtle gazes from Li Ru and the other two. His ears were already turning red. He stared at his phone, frantically praying in his heart that Shang Shujue wouldn't reveal his little quirk. He really couldn't bear the embarrassment!
Seeing Hu Zhiyuan's expression, Li Ru and the other two immediately sensed that something was amiss. Each of them looked down at their phones, seemingly engrossed, but in reality, they were all typing questions to Hu Zhiyuan about his unusual little quirks.
Hu Zhiyuan blushed furiously. "Ahhh, don't ask me, I don't know, I don't know anything! Stop asking, I really don't know anything!"
Shang Shujue was unaware of Hu Zhiyuan's thoughts. She simply moved the candy in her mouth from her left cheek to her right cheek, continuing to gossip in her mind.
This kid looks so fair and delicate. He often ties himself up with rope and plays in front of the mirror in his rented room. Doesn't he ever feel insecure?
Rental apartments are so unsafe! What if you run into a pervert? The way he's tied himself up, wouldn't that excite the pervert to death? Tsk tsk tsk... I really couldn't tell.
Hu Zhiyuan: Ahhh! ∑(❍ฺд❍ฺlll)
Hearing Shang Shujue's inner thoughts, Hu Zhiyuan felt as if the sky had fallen. His face turned pale and red, a truly dramatic sight. He dared not look the other three in the eye, afraid of being ridiculed as an oddity. He was truly finished! Destroy it all! He didn't want to live anymore!
Li Ru and the other two looked at Hu Zhiyuan with a mixture of surprise and confusion, while simultaneously feeling a deep sense of doubt. Had he really tied himself up in his rented room?
How were they tied up? And how are they going to untie themselves? What if they can't untie themselves and need someone to rescue them? Wouldn't that be incredibly embarrassing? I don't understand, but I'll respect that.
[Oh~ I knew this kid was so fair-skinned, how could he have such a fetish? It turns out he was kidnapped when he was three years old. When the kidnappers were kidnapping him, they beat a big kid who was trying to save him to death, and some of his blood was smeared on his face. The little boy was so frightened that he developed PTSD.]
It took a long time to cure him through hypnotic amnesia, but this also brought about a self-protective mechanism that favors "self-restraint." By approaching him with his preferred ideas, he became less afraid...
ε=(´ο`*))) Sigh, what a poor kid. He probably doesn't even remember this anymore, after all, he was hypnotized by a very skilled psychotherapist...]
The four of them were surprised that such a hobby would lead to such an experience, and their expressions were slightly stunned, including Hu Zhiyuan himself. However, because Shang Shujue was watching them with his eyes open, none of them dared to show it, for fear that Shang Shujue would discover something amiss.
Hu Zhiyuan's mind was a complete mess. He had no idea what Shang Shujue had said. Whenever he tried to think about it, his mind would go blank, as if he had gone mad and couldn't remember anything.
What kidnapping? What big kid rescuing him? He really doesn't remember anything. Did such a thing really happen?
Hu Zhiyuan's questions grew more and more numerous. In a daze, he seemed to hear a childish voice urging him to run fast, not to look back, and to live for him, as a figure kept flickering... But he couldn't see clearly who it was.
" Brother Zhiyuan, I remember you have formal training. Could you show me this text? If I were to perform it, what would be the most appropriate way to do it?"
Li Ru noticed that Hu Zhiyuan was lost in thought, so he immediately went over to discuss acting with him, holding out his phone with a gentle smile on his face.
Hu Zhiyuan snapped out of his reverie and saw the message on his phone, "[ Brother Zhiyuan, I know you're confused, but now is not the time for reminiscing. When you get back, just call home. If you want to know, they'll definitely tell you. You're not a three-year-old anymore; they'll tell you.]"
Hu Zhiyuan finally snapped out of his daze and returned to reality. He subtly moved closer to Li Ru and whispered his thanks, "I understand, thank you, Li Ru."
Then, speaking to him in a normal voice, she appeared so calm and composed, without a trace of the confusion and helplessness she had shown earlier. The difference between then and now was striking, but it felt very real.
Shang Shujue didn't know what the two of them were talking about in hushed tones, but when he heard Hu Zhiyuan mention acting styles, he unconsciously nodded slightly. As a veteran actor, he quite agreed with the other party's statement; no wonder he was a professionally trained actor.
Then Shang Shujue glanced at Li Ru, his attention returning to Hu Zhiyuan's melons. He then saw Li Ru's name and couldn't help but look at Hu Zhiyuan again, feeling quite surprised and moved.
[Oh my god! The kid who saved Hu Zhiyuan's cousin is Li Ru, right? Wow~ these two actually ended up together after they both became famous?]
What a wonderful coincidence! I was wondering why Li Ru called Hu Zhiyuan so sweetly. Tsk tsk tsk, it was so cloying! No wonder he's a younger man who loves to act cute and affectionate. Wow!
"Pfft--cough cough cough... Zheng Jiaye, I'm sorry... cough cough cough... I drank too fast and choked..."
Zhou Wangqi spat out a mouthful of water, which landed right on Zheng Jiaye, causing him to stand up reflexively. Zhou Wangqi coughed and apologized, feeling a bit flustered.
"It's alright, it's alright. I was just startled. My clothes are just wet, I can wipe them off. Are you alright? Here's some tissues, you're wet too, hurry up and dry yourself off..."
Zheng Jiaye was startled by the contents of Zhou Wangqi and Shang Shujue's inner thoughts, just as Li Ru and Hu Zhiyuan, who had suddenly heard the names, were momentarily stunned.
After this incident, the two immediately suppressed their shock, stood up to help hand out tissues and pour water, and when they happened to look at each other, they inexplicably felt awkward and uncomfortable.
Hu Zhiyuan: No? I'm 185cm tall, why am I the one on the bottom? I don't accept this! (˵>ㅿ<˵)
Li Ru: I was just trying to comfort Hu Zhiyuan out of kindness, I have no intention of finding a man to marry in the future! This is really outrageous, okay?! ∑(❍ฺд❍ฺlll)
"Is the ride a bit bumpy? Sit up straight, don't hunch over, keep your airway clear, hold your breath for two or three seconds, then breathe in small sips. Once you feel a little better, drink some warm water, sip it..."
Shang Shujue hadn't expected Zhou Wangqi to choke. Seeing him coughing so badly, she quickly went over to support him and help him sit up. Once he felt a little better, she poured him some water and told him to sip it slowly.
"Cough cough... Brother Jue, I'm much better now. I won't drink water in your car again next time... Thank you, thank you."
Zhou Wangqi almost blurted out "Drink water when your inner voice rings out," but he slammed on the brakes before he could say it, changing it to "in the car," otherwise he would have passed out right now.
Seeing that Zhou Wangqi could speak normally again, Shang Shujue was relieved; this was all thanks to his Merit Points.
Nothing can happen to him. But now that he's alright, he has something to say: he can talk about him, but he can't talk about his precious horse!
"What's wrong with my car? It's your IQ that's comparable to a grown banana; you can't even choke on water. You're something else."
"... You have such a sharp tongue." Zhou Wangqi's lips twitched.
"Saying your IQ is like a grown banana is poisonous? I haven't even mentioned you look like the pet dog of my aunt's nephew's cousin's second aunt's grandson..."
"..." Zhou Wangqi looked aggrieved.
"Pfft..." The other three twisted their bodies and shrugged their shoulders...
Zhou Wangqi: "Damn it (ꐦ°᷄д°᷅)... I saw you guys smirking! If you laugh again, I'll have someone deal with you!"
Shang Shujue: "...?!" Has this kid been watching too many short dramas?
Hu Zhiyuan and the other two. "... Pfft--Hahaha..."
Zhou Wangqi sat there, feeling utterly isolated and helpless for the first time. How did I become the center of attention?