It was late at night. In the dim room, a faint glow illuminated the conflicted face in front of the phone.
Xie Qingchi v: I've withdrawn from the show. I hope certain people will stop shamelessly clinging to me.
Beneath this Weibo post, nearly two hundred thousand abusive comments filled the screen.
[We support you, darling. Some bitches really are delusional.]
[Poor crown prince. He could've sailed through life without a single worry, but now someone's after his chastity. 😂]
[I hate Shen the Bitch so much. We could've watched our darling on the show, but now he's ruined everything.]
These comments had all been left beneath his Weibo post several days ago, when he withdrew from the show, by fans he had no idea where he'd picked up.
Now, perhaps because of the changes brought about by the first day's livestream, a fresh wave of comments had flooded beneath this days-old post.
[Holy shit, Xie Qingchi really did post something like this?]
[Oh, come ON. My ship hasn't even gotten together, and they're already divorced.]
[I really can't take this. How are we supposed to ship them when he was this nasty?]
[Didn't you say Xie Qingchi was eating his words? How does this look anything like that?]
[Where did all these braindead shippers come from? Stop trying to hitch a ride on his fame, okay? Your "wife" can't compare to our crown prince in either background or popularity. He's not famous, but he sure loves clout-chasing.]
[Xie Qingchi doesn't like Shen Shuangjian at all! He's obviously sick to death of him. Are you people stupid or blind?]
Looking at the latest comment to rise to the top, Xie Qingchi frowned. He bit his nail, and before his brain caught up, his finger had already hit send.
Xie Qingchi v replied: You're the only one who gets it, huh? Got so much to say?
[?]
[??]
[???]
[What's going on? Did Xie Qingchi's account get hacked?]
[Wait, why did he hide that post?!]
After replying, whether out of guilt or for some other reason, Xie Qingchi irritably hid the post in short order. He even posted a new explanation that rather smacked of protesting too much.
Xie Qingchi v: Stay out of my business. Stop spending all day trying to read into every little thing I say.
Within three minutes, the post had over ten thousand comments.
[???? I can't with you!]
[Xie Qingchi? How dare you stab me in the back!!!]
[Goddammit, I KNEW I wasn't wrong. These discerning eyes have judged countless real and fake entertainment-industry ships. If I say they're real, they're real!]
[Goddammit, even if you're not fucking with me, you're still fucking with me!]
[Xie Qingchi, you... you're hopeless. You met him once, and he's already won you over?]
[Understandable. Normal. I'd fall for Shen Shuangjian at first sight too.]
[Xie Qingchi a few days ago: Stay away from me. Xie Qingchi a few days later: Stay out of my business!]
[Stay out of my business. (Mocking tone)]
[I just fucking love being a simp, so what?]
Looking at the polarized comments, Xie Qingchi still felt somewhat awkward.
He admitted that he did somewhat wish this post had never existed. Then he wouldn't have felt as though he were being roasted over a fire.
He also admitted that he was a little afraid Shen Shuangjian would see it and grow more hurt the more he read.
After all, he probably liked him a lot, right? He'd followed him all the way onto the show. Presumably, during today's punishment, he'd only been afraid to choose him as his target because he feared he would get angry and mind it.
If he hasn't given up yet, would I be willing to give him a chance?
Thinking this, Xie Qingchi suddenly realized that he seemed willing. The disgust and disdain he'd felt when he first heard that the Shen Family's illegitimate son was interested in him were gone.
Xie Qingchi tried hard to remember where exactly he and Shen Shuangjian had met before, or where Shen Shuangjian might once have caught a fleeting, unforgettable glimpse of him.
The corners of his lips curled up despite himself. Xie Qingchi switched off his phone. His thoughts were a mess, his head was a mess, and his heart was even more of a mess, so he no longer wanted to spare any attention to agonize over anything else.
He thought that if they needed to form teams again tomorrow, he would probably choose Shen Shuangjian, because everyone else's energy really clashed with his. Just seeing them annoyed Xie Qingchi.
Dawn was approaching.
The night had been heavy with dew, and a thin layer of mist had settled over the estate, deepening the red of the exquisitely fresh roses.
Overlapping footsteps slowly ascended the carpeted staircase. Morning light fell directly on the running camera, refracting into unusual colors.
It was seven twenty in the morning, yet the livestream chat was buzzing.
[Wahaha, Director Wang's shows really know how to have fun.]
[Just thinking about getting to see sleepy hot guys and girls in a minute makes me grin.]
[Knowing Yu Sheng, he'll probably answer the door shirtless again, putting those big abs right on display.]
[Can you just crawl into Shen Shuangjian's room and put the camera next to him so I can experience sharing a bed and pillow with him?]
[If that's really possible, I feel like I'd even have the energy to want to die at work.]
[Work really has driven you crazy.]
[Ugly face, pretty dreams.]
[I knew staying up all night would get me something good to watch. Please give me a wife who gets woken up, opens the door, sees a camera pointed at him, and gets so scared he starts sniffling.]
[You really dare to dream.]
[I don't feel like wifey cries easily. I don't know why, but I just feel that even though he looks fragile, he's incredibly strong inside.]
[He was targeted, cyberbullied, and even hospitalized from anger, but the moment he got out, he dared to face the public again, completely unafraid of all the gossip. If that isn't inner strength, what is?]
[Fun fact: Shen Shuangjian is just an ordinary person.]
[That damn beautiful, strong, and tragic script.]
[I vaguely remember you weren't saying this before.]
[This damn world where good looks are justice.]
[Wait, if I'm not looking at faces, what am I supposed to look at? Those ugly entertainment-industry men throwing their weight around at us and sleeping with fans?]
[Who's first? Who's first?]
[It's Best Actor Gu! Wahaha, those prim and proper pajamas. I can't...]
[A gentleman orchid. No matter what show Gu Xuanlin films, his sleeping posture and pajamas are always perfectly proper.]
[Hahahaha, unlike Yu Sheng, walking around shirtless with those abs and V-lines right out on display.]
[I actually want to see what the crown prince looks like when he wakes up.]
[Don't worry, bestie. The crew definitely won't dare go over there.]
[They've already skipped straight past him to Shen Shuangjian. Doesn't Xie Qingchi have a really nasty morning temper?]
Knock, knock, knock-
A crew member lightly knocked several times on the door bearing a card with Shen Shuangjian's name, then stood waiting.
Time ticked by. Only after more than three minutes had passed did they hear an extremely faint sound from inside.
Then the door swung wide open.