To ease the awkwardness of having said the wrong thing, Shen Xingcan chimed in, "Wow, I can't wait."
He half reclined in his chair, the corners of his eyes flushed from alcohol like peach blossoms blooming in March. His medium-length black hair was loosely tied behind his head, stray strands slipping over his temples and making his skin look almost dazzlingly pale.
Drink had lent a languid air to the sharp lines of his brows, adding an unconscious allure. Beneath his long lashes, his peach-blossom eyes seemed filled with spring water.
His nose was finely sculpted and faintly pink, his full, cherry-red lips a little moist from drinking. His slightly open collar offered a half-concealed glimpse of exquisite collarbones. The aloofness of his bone structure kept Shen Xingcan from looking frivolous or coquettish; he was as breathtakingly beautiful as peach blossoms steeped in moonlight.
[That face, the way he looks right now... holy shit, my nose is bleeding. Xie Linchuan, you lucky bastard.]
[I've never seen Noble Consort Yang drunk, but seeing Princess Shen drunk was worth it too.]
[Xie Linchuan, I'm warning you, you'd better stay away from our baby Cancan, or I'll take your fucking life.]
[Aaaah, you knew there was a big bad wolf beside you, and you still dared to drink this much? Shen Xingcan, are you crazy?!]
[I really want to say Best Actor Xie is actually a decent person and Xingcan's fans don't need to worry so much, but with Shen Xingcan looking like this... yeah.]
[The number one succubus in Chinese entertainment barely lifts a finger, and everyone loses their minds over him.]
After quietly watching Shen Xingcan for a while, Xie Linchuan suddenly took off his jacket and draped it over him.
"What are you doing?"
Shen Xingcan's voice was warm and soft with drunkenness.
"It's windy at night. You'll catch a chill more easily when you're drunk."
Shen Xingcan answered, "Oh."
Then he tugged the jacket higher over himself.
He looked utterly docile.
[Whether it's really windy or you just don't want anyone looking at your wife, you know perfectly well.]
Song Tiantian opened the little ball in front of her.
"This ball is Brother Linchuan's. A viewer named Little Fish Begonia asks..."
Perhaps the question was too pointed, because even Song Tiantian stumbled for a moment.
Shen Xingcan, who had been leaning quietly against his chair, suddenly spoke. "Little Fish Begonia asked Xie Linchuan why we fell out back then?"
Although Shen Xingcan had phrased it as a question, his tone was certain.
Song Tiantian said, "...Yes. Little Fish Begonia asked why Brother Linchuan and Brother Xingcan fell out a few years ago, and who caused it."
Shen Xingcan smiled. "I was just wondering why nobody had asked that question. I didn't expect it to pop up right as the show was about to end..."
After a pause, he turned to Xie Linchuan. "Best Actor Xie, that's a hard question to answer. Why don't we pass? We've earned quite a few points tonight anyway."
Xie Linchuan's tone was low and restrained. "I was afraid to face certain things, so I chose to distance myself and run away. What happened back then was entirely my fault."
His voice was deep and controlled, and every word reached Shen Xingcan's ears clearly.
Back then, Shen Xingcan hadn't understood why the person he had grown up with wanted to distance himself from him.
Later, he had realized his own feelings, and so he assumed Xie Linchuan had noticed something and that was why he had gradually pulled away.
Over the past few years, Shen Xingcan had actually wanted very much to tell Xie Linchuan that even if he liked him, he wouldn't do anything out of line. There was absolutely no need for him to avoid Shen Xingcan like the plague.
Until he died in an accident...
For some reason, he hadn't immediately gone on to reincarnate after his death. It was then that he learned a great deal, including why Xie Linchuan had distanced himself from him.
If he hadn't died, would they have gone their whole lives without ever speaking again... If he hadn't been reborn, would they only ever have missed their chance with each other?
It was too frightening. Just thinking about it made Shen Xingcan feel as though he couldn't breathe.
That was why he had struggled to sleep night after night since his rebirth.
The fierce emotions in his chest threatened to burn Shen Xingcan to ashes.
Even though he told himself over and over that Xie Linchuan had had his reasons, Shen Xingcan still felt terribly sad and wronged. The stinging in his nose surged on and on, leaving him powerless to resist.
Sensing that the atmosphere had grown a little tense, Song Tiantian spoke. "That brings our final question of the day to a successful close. I believe today's interactions have helped our audience get to know our guests better. In a moment, the staff will announce the points earned by all six guests. The three highest-scoring guests will also get to retrieve three additional personal belongings."
Song Tiantian abruptly stopped speaking, because Shen Xingcan, who had been sitting there looking as if he was spacing out, suddenly grabbed Xie Linchuan's hand and bit down hard.
A sharp pain shot through his hand, but Xie Linchuan showed no reaction. He didn't struggle or frown. Only when warm liquid dripped onto the back of his hand did he seem to finally regain his senses.
Shen Xingcan bit down viciously, only letting go once he tasted a trace of blood.
Shen Xingcan spoke hoarsely. "The show's almost over, right?"
"Yes, it's almost over."
[Afraid to face certain things... so does that mean after Xie Linchuan realized he liked Shen Xingcan, he thought Shen Xingcan was straight and chose to distance himself, which led to them drifting further and further apart?]
[Holy shit, is Shen Xingcan crying? His eyes are frighteningly red.]
[So Xie Linchuan was the reason they fell out back then?]
[He fell out with you, and you still went running after him? Goddamn Xie Linchuan, I really fucking want to stab you to death. He likes you so much, and this is how you treat him?]
[Xie Linchuan realized his feelings for Shen Xingcan, thought Shen Xingcan was straight, and chose to distance himself... then Shen Xingcan might have thought Xie Linchuan had discovered his feelings, so he tacitly accepted that distance too... this is so heartbreaking.]
[I just thought of a terrifying possibility. If Shen Xingcan hadn't taken the initiative this time, would these two have gone their whole lives without ever speaking again?]
[Yes, because relationships between people really are fragile.]
[Waaah, Xingcan is the bravest kitty. It's all that awful Xie Linchuan's fault!]
[Looking at it from kitty Xingcan's perspective, he really was so wronged.]
Shen Xingcan tugged at the corner of his mouth, producing a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "In that case, I'll leave first. I've had a little too much to drink, and I want to get some air."
"Okay."
Having received an answer, Shen Xingcan got straight up and walked out. From beginning to end, he never glanced at Xie Linchuan again.
Xie Linchuan soon got up and followed him.
"Okay."
Song Tiantian said, "The production team has finished tallying all the guests' points. Our top three this time are Xie Linchuan, Shen Xingcan, and Jiang Yifeng. These three guests may retrieve their luggage from the rest area at any time. That's all for today's show. We'll see you tomorrow morning at six."