After hearing him out, Qiguan Yuan said, "Oh." He drew the sound out a little, its ending rising, as though he were digesting the information.
"People who like you." He repeated those words, his tone carrying a little curiosity and a little nonchalance.
He unwound the red thread wrapped around his finger, wound it around his wrist, and tied a loose knot.
Then he held out his hand to Pei Yubai. "This livestream you mentioned-can I see it?"
Pei Yubai froze for a moment. Then he unlocked his phone, opened the livestream, and handed it over.
Qiguan Yuan took the phone. The screen was lit, and he himself was in the picture.
It was footage from the camera following Pei Yubai: he was leaning against a pillar, holding the red thread, his head tipped slightly back.
The upper-right corner displayed the number of viewers online. It was a large number, followed by a string of zeros.
Looking at himself on the screen, Qiguan Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is this... me?"
His voice was quiet, but the livestream picked it up very clearly.
The instant he said those words, the bullet comments doubled in speed again.
Qiguan Yuan brought the phone a little closer, looking at the words scrolling across the screen from right to left.
His gaze followed one comment, and he tilted his head slightly.
"Yuanyuan is so beautiful."
He read it aloud, his voice quiet but every word perfectly clear. After reading it, the corner of his mouth moved.
Then he caught another one. "Please pick me, Yuanyuan."
Qiguan Yuan looked at those words and asked, "What does 'pick me' mean?"
Standing beside him, Pei Yubai's ears had already begun to redden. He cleared his throat and explained, "It means... you reply to them."
Qiguan Yuan murmured an acknowledgment and kept reading.
When the next comment floated past, he paused: [Yuanyuan's hands are so pretty. I want to hold them.]
Qiguan Yuan looked down at his own hands. His fingers were long and slender, their joints well-defined, his nails neatly trimmed.
He looked for two seconds, then raised his head and glanced at Pei Yubai.
Pei Yubai's gaze had been resting on his hands. The moment Qiguan Yuan looked at him, he looked away.
Qiguan Yuan said nothing and continued looking at the screen. The comments scrolled faster and faster. He read through them one by one, occasionally reading one aloud.
"Yuanyuan, marry me."
His voice rose slightly at the end, carrying a hint of laughter.
"When will Yuanyuan debut?"
As he read this one, he tilted his head, as though wondering what "debut" meant.
His expression gradually shifted from its initial curiosity to pleasure.
Being liked probably felt very comfortable. He narrowed his eyes slightly, his lashes casting fan-shaped shadows beneath them, his whole posture more relaxed than before.
The comments came even faster.
The viewers had heard what he read aloud, and people began flooding the screen.
[He read it! He read it!]
[Yuanyuan saw me!]
[I'm dead, I'm dead!]
Some people began sending even more direct messages, as though betting on whether he would read them aloud.
When the next comment floated past, Qiguan Yuan narrowed his eyes a little.
[Yuanyuan! Yuanyuan! Yuanyuan! You're so gorgeous I could die! Will you be my wife? Wifey~]
He read it aloud word by word. When he reached "wifey," he paused, as though pondering what the word meant. Then he smiled.
His eyes curved, and his lips formed a distinct arc, making those who saw him unable to tear their eyes away.
He was simply too beautiful!
He said leisurely, "Of course~ Then when will you come looking for me, husband? Don't keep me waiting too long. Otherwise... I'll be heartbroken~"
His eyes were full of laughter.
Like a little fox that had successfully stolen a treat.
His voice was quiet, but every word seemed coated in honey. His voice rose slightly at the end, then dipped, sounding both coquettish and teasing.
He drew out the final sound a little, the tip of his tongue pressing against the roof of his mouth, flicking lightly, then slowly drawing back.
At that moment, the livestream completely exploded.
The screen filled with nothing but [Wifey~ Wifey~]
Row after row of tildes looked like a collective chorus of teasing.
The viewer count shot straight past the highest record since the variety show had begun airing.
Some people had already started taking screenshots and recording the screen, while others shouted in the comments, [My heart can't take this!]
Someone sent a long string of [Aaaaaah] that filled the entire screen.
Looking at all the "wifey~" comments on the screen, Qiguan Yuan couldn't help letting out a laugh.
It was a clear laugh that spilled from his throat, with a faint nasal note.
The sound traveled through the phone and the livestream equipment, then played from the phone speakers of millions of people. In that instant, countless people's ears reddened at once.
Standing beside him, Pei Yubai heard that laugh. His ears were already crimson, the red spreading from their rims to their lobes, down his neck, and out of sight beneath his shirt collar.
He kept his eyes lowered. He didn't look at Qiguan Yuan, but he didn't walk away either.
Qiguan Yuan suddenly spotted a comment:
[Yuanyuan! Yuanyuan! Wait for me! I've already bought a ticket. I'm flying to Cloud-Hidden Town right now! I'm coming to see you!]
After reading it, he smiled and shook his head. His silver hair swayed with the movement.
"Don't come."
His tone was very gentle as he said it-not a rejection, but kindly advice. "I'll be leaving soon. Fate brings us together and takes us apart. If there is a destined connection between us, we'll meet again."
A few seconds later, the fan who had posted about buying a ticket sent a new comment.
She said she had refunded her ticket, followed by a crying emoji.
Then she sent another: [Boohoo, Yuanyuan, will I ever see you again? Could you join this show? Boohoo.]
Looking at the comment, Qiguan Yuan shook his head. "An old acquaintance is waiting for me. I can't break my promise."
He didn't explain who the old acquaintance was or say where he was going. With just one plain, simple sentence, he refused the fan's request in a way that left people helpless, yet unable to say anything.
Sure enough, the comments began filling with:
[Boohoo]
[Yuanyuan, don't go]
[I can't bear to see you leave]
A sea of crying reaction images, a sea of heartbroken words.
But Qiguan Yuan didn't answer those questions again. He simply watched the screen, that slight curve still lingering at the corners of his mouth.
He still didn't change his answer.
Pei Yubai stood beside him, silent all the while.
His ears were still very red, but his expression was no different from usual. At least, he thought it was no different.
His eyes lowered, he watched the red thread around Qiguan Yuan's wrist. It seemed to glint in the sunlight, then dimmed again.
Qiguan Yuan noticed a comment.
It was buried among the densely packed words, impossible to spot without looking closely. But Qiguan Yuan saw it anyway. He paused and read it aloud.
[Pei Yubai's expression fell when he heard Yuanyuan was leaving. Does he like Yuanyuan?! (I'm just talking nonsense! Don't hit me!)]
After reading it, he raised his head and looked at Pei Yubai.
The light from the phone screen reflected in those pale eyes, making them shine. He looked at Pei Yubai for two seconds, then the corners of his mouth curved slightly.
He held the phone out in front of Pei Yubai and pointed to the comment.
"Pei Yubai, do you like me?"