Yu Sheng's failure before he had even gotten started made everyone else appreciate just how ridiculous and entertaining this was.
They all pulled out their phones and called their families or friends, and most of the results were equally absurd.
They were either laughingly called crazy, or the person on the other end got a fright before noticing the quiet, peaceful atmosphere around them and realizing it was a joke.
By the time everyone had finished laughing and fooling around, Shen Shuangjian was the only one of the seven who had yet to make a call.
Even Xie Jinghui, whose turn had come before his, had made an enormous fool of himself with his call.
Xie Jinghui's parents had passed away. Apart from Xie Qingchi, none of his remaining relatives were people he could conveniently call out of the blue, and Xie Qingchi was currently run off his feet because of Xie Jinghui's arrangements.
In the end, Xie Jinghui called the assistant who had worked for him for many years.
Under the eyes of everyone present and the livestream viewers, Xie Jinghui spoke in a calm, cold tone. "I ran into a bear. Save me."
On the other end, although his assistant refrained from calling him crazy out of consideration for their difference in rank and the authority Xie Jinghui had built up over the years, he still fell silent for a full three seconds.
Then the assistant asked in a slightly trembling voice, "D-do you need me to contact a search and rescue team for you?"
After that, Lin Weiluo and Yu Sheng laughed so hard they nearly slapped the table. Xie Jinghui's expression remained calm, and he even managed to say, "No need," before hanging up.
"Shuangjian, your turn. I'm dying."
Lin Weiluo wiped the tears of laughter from the corners of her eyes, looking visibly excited after getting carried away with the game.
As her voice fell, everyone, who had been lounging in various poses that could even be called lazy, straightened up and looked at Shen Shuangjian with anticipation or amusement.
[Finally, my wife's turn. I've fucking laughed myself into a pile of shit. I think I'm the crazy one.]
[My poor wife looks so lost, like he doesn't fit in with them at all. He doesn't even know what they're laughing about.]
[It's been so many days. When have any of you ever seen my wife smile? No matter how hard people try to amuse him, my wife barely reacts.]
[LMAO. In ancient times, King You of Zhou fooled his lords with beacon fires to win a smile from Bao Si. Today, a million netizens harbor delusions of seeing Shen Shuangjian entertained and laughing.]
[A beauty who brings ruin to nations and their people. Ruin to nations and their people.]
[LMAO. Isn't that just being a killjoy?]
[If I were my wife's family or friend and he called asking me to save him, I'd probably faint from panic.]
[Just watching the show. After all, who could bear to let a wife whose beauty deserves cultural heritage status suffer even the slightest harm?]
With his knees drawn up, Shen Shuangjian looked at the words "Elder brother" on the screen of the call that had yet to connect.
In truth, even Shen Shuangjian did not know whether Shen Sixian would answer this call, or who else he could possibly call if he did not.
When the ringtone reached its sixteenth second, Shen Sixian answered.
As was his usual habit, Shen Sixian said nothing when the call connected, waiting instead for the other person to speak first.
"Elder brother."
Shen Shuangjian's voice involuntarily paused. His eyes lowered. Unaccustomed to lying, he did not know how to begin saying something so absurd either.
Shen Sixian still said nothing, seemingly waiting for Shen Shuangjian to continue. The scratching of his pen across paper was faint, so faint it was difficult to notice without listening closely.
"I ran into a bear."
The ink from his fountain pen suddenly darkened on the contract. Shen Sixian's wrist paused, and he stopped writing.
After a wait of nearly three seconds, the active call display on the phone in Shen Shuangjian's hand abruptly disappeared. The light from the blank screen fell across his lowered lashes, tracing deep shadows.
Shen Sixian had hung up. Throughout a call lasting less than ten seconds, he had not spoken a single word, just as when Shen Shuangjian had first awakened in this body.
Shen Sixian had chosen indifference. Twice, or perhaps countless times.
The atmosphere, which had still been fairly relaxed, instantly dissipated. Smiles froze on their faces, and the lighthearted laughter and ease vanished.
"Sh-Shuangjian."
Lin Weiluo, who had been the first to urge him on, panicked. Ever since meeting Shen Shuangjian, she had unconsciously dismissed all those rumors about him being a simp and the brothers not getting along as hearsay.
She had thought that no one around Shen Shuangjian could possibly dislike him.
"What kind of dare did the production team come up with? Such a fucking stupid prompt, it left our big brother speechless."
Yu Sheng instinctively put an arm around Shen Shuangjian's shoulders. Looking at Shen Shuangjian sitting curled up on the ground with his knees drawn up, eyes lowered and silent, he could not help feeling his heart tremble.
It was not attraction. This time, it was a dense, aching bitterness.
Actually, at this point, since Yu Sheng had already smoothed things over, it was no longer appropriate to bring up Shen Sixian's reaction again.
Facing everyone's discreet looks of concern, Shen Shuangjian turned off his phone. His expression remained unchanged, as indifferent and distant as ever.
Because Shen Shuangjian had known Shen Sixian's attitude from the very beginning, he had not felt particularly sad when it happened.
"Ah, the game's over. Why don't we go back to our rooms and sleep?" Song Shi really could not stand the awkward atmosphere. He took the initiative to speak, breaking the deadlock, though it came across as deliberate.
On the large screen showing the livestream, bullet comments flashed past rapidly.
[Don't leave. Keep showing off. Why aren't you showing off anymore?]
[Don't Shuangjian's fans love bragging about his everyone-loves-him persona? Why are they quiet now?]
[LMAO. What a slap in the face. His own brother doesn't give a damn whether he lives or dies.]
[Shen Shuangjian failed to prettily whitewash himself and make it safely ashore, huh.]
[Sure, Xie Qingchi has no backbone, but that doesn't mean what happened was fake. It's a fact that the show was delayed because of Shen Shuangjian, a fact that Xie Qingchi disliked him at first, and a fact that Shen Shuangjian is actually hated by everyone at home.]
[The moment Xie Qingchi leaves the palace: delayed broadcast, illegitimate child, unwanted baggage. This consort has grown tired of saying the word "innocent."]
[...]
[This doesn't prove anything, does it? Anyone with a brain would know it was a joke.]
[Anyone would know it was a joke after chatting for a bit, but the problem is that Shen Shuangjian's brother didn't say a single word. He just hung up, okay?]
[Normally, if you actually cared, wouldn't your first reaction be shock? It's not impossible to run into a bear in the forest.]
[If they really had a good relationship, why would Shen Shuangjian call him "Elder brother"? Normal brothers just say "Bro."]
[Isn't this treatment normal for an illegitimate child? Who would like the child of someone who stole their mother's husband?]
[The idol pays for the fans' behavior. Shuangjian's fans usually throw their weight around, so we can't spare any pity for Shen Shuangjian either.]
[Already getting ready to eat melon.]
[Shen Shuangjian is a complete clown.]