ABOES 99: Weibo War

On New Year’s Eve, Chi Yunxing’s fans had been waiting all day and finally, at 2:30 AM on the first day of the new year, he posted his New Year’s greeting on Weibo.

Though it was late, it was the holidays after all, and not many fans were asleep. The moment his post went live, his Weibo comments soared past a thousand.

【Happy New Year, Yunxing!!!】
【Finally!! Looks like he really enjoyed himself this New Year—posting this late!】
【Happy New Year, my precious! Walk the flower path again this year too!】
【Go go Yunxing!】
【No selfie?? Boohoo, I wanted a selfie!】
【Ahem ahem—mister latecomer, mind explaining why you liked Duan Zhiyan’s post before posting your own?】

Fans who saw this comment were stunned.

【Wait, Yunxing liked Zhiyan-ge’s post first?】
【Yup, go check his recent likes—just a minute ago!】
【I’m shipping it!!!】
【OMG, I’m already getting couple content on Day 1 of the new year—does this mean I’ll get more all year?!】
【Definitely!】

Ever since Secret Crush aired, CP fans of Chi Yunxing and Duan Zhiyan had skyrocketed. Since both stars never discouraged the CP, their fanbase only grew stronger. Now, anytime either of them posted—even without mentioning the other—tons of CP fans would tag the other in comments.

Today was no different.

【Not only that! Yunxing posted a fireworks pic, and so did Duan Zhiyan! I’m just gonna assume they watched fireworks together!】
【Yes yes! So sweet!】
【OMG, I didn’t notice before, but now that you say it—though the angles are different, both fireworks pics were taken at the same riverfront downtown! Look at that landmark building in the background—that’s the Haishi TV Tower!】

Fans who saw this comment had a collective revelation.

【HOLY—】
【They really were in the same place!】
【Girl, are you using a microscope? I was just looking at the fireworks and didn’t even notice the background!】
【This ship is killing me!】
【Too sweet!】
【So… they spent the whole day together?!】
【I swear, I wasn’t gonna ship real-life CPs—but these two, I really can’t resist!】
【Come quick, sisters! Zhixing is eternal!】
【Zhixing CP is the best investment I’ve made!】
【Oh my god, I noticed something else! Look at the first photo Yunxing posted—bottom right corner, there’s a man’s hand. As someone who’s been a Duan Zhiyan fan for 8 years, I’m 100% sure that’s his hand!】

This shocked the rest of the fans.

【No way, seriously??】
【OMG!!!】
【Do you have a comparison pic?】

The fan replied: 【Hold on.】

Two minutes later, she updated with a new Weibo post containing just two words and two images.

@DuanZhiyan’sSecretGF: Confirmed.
#Image# #Image#

Everyone clicked to see. The first image was an official HD photo of Duan Zhiyan from an event last year. His left hand was highlighted with a red arrow pointing to the key detail: a mole on his middle knuckle. She added, “Real fans know about the mole on Zhiyan Ge’s middle finger!”

The second image was from Yunxing’s New Year dinner post—featuring a slender, elegant hand peeking into the frame, and on the middle knuckle, the same mole.

Fans: !!!

【This isn’t just similar—it’s identical!】
【So they had New Year’s Eve dinner together, then went to see fireworks?】
【No way… Is the CP I ship actually real?!】
【AAAAAAAH I’M IN!!!】
【This is basically a soft launch, right?!】
【I’m losing it—if it weren’t 3 AM I’d scream outside right now!】
【I screamed, and my mom came to check on me.】
【Honestly, if they’re not together, how do they walk this back?】
【But seriously, don’t forget—their families know each other. This could all be innocent.】
【I don’t care! Don’t stop me from shipping this—NOT EVEN GOD CAN STOP ME.】

…

Even during the New Year holiday, marketing accounts don’t rest.

So not long after the fan posted the photo comparison, marketing accounts started reposting it.

More and more fans and netizens saw the two photos, and everyone was shocked.

【Are they really dating?】
【I had a feeling there was something between them! And they went to meet the parents over New Year?!】
【Congrats!】
【Can marketing accounts stop meddling and let people date in peace?】
【OMG I got dumped on New Year’s Day!】
【Is this just one photo? Any more clues?】
【Waiting for an official statement!】

…

Even though it was late at night, the topic just kept gaining traction. By the time Chi Yunxing and Duan Zhiyan woke up the next day, the Weibo trending list was covered in tags related to them.

#DuanZhiyanChiYunxingMeetTheParents,
#DuanZhiyanChiYunxingRelationshipExposed,
#ZhiXingTogether,
#ZhixingForever, etc.

Chi Yunxing had slept all the way into the afternoon. When Duan Zhiyan handed him the tablet, he was still dazed. “What is it?”

“Check Weibo,” Duan Zhiyan said, kissing the corner of his mouth with a chuckle. “Fans say we met each other’s families yesterday.”

It took Chi Yunxing a moment to process what he meant.

He shot up in bed, staring at Duan Zhiyan in disbelief. “How do they know? Did someone catch us when we went out for fireworks?!”

Duan Zhiyan was amused. He pointed at the tablet in Chi Yunxing’s hands. “You posted it yourself. Just check the trending topics.”

Chi Yunxing quickly scrolled through and was instantly dumbfounded.

“…Do they all browse Weibo with microscopes? I specifically chose a firework photo taken from a different angle! And that New Year dinner shot—I thought people would focus on the food! How’d they spot a hand?!”

He took a deep breath, flopped back onto the bed, rolled in the sheets twice, and muttered, “Aaaah—so what now? Should we explain?”

Duan Zhiyan took the tablet from him and made sure he was comfortable before saying, “I got calls from He You and Xie Yi earlier today. They asked the same thing.”

Chi Yunxing peeked out from under the blanket. “What did you say?”

Duan Zhiyan’s eyes glinted with amusement. “I told them I’ll go with whatever you decide.”

Chi Yunxing blushed, turning his head away.

The daylight was bright outside, but the room was still dim, lit only by a warm bedside lamp, casting a soft glow like gauze over them.

After a long pause, Chi Yunxing whispered, “If… I mean if we don’t post an explanation—how will fans take it?”

Duan Zhiyan pulled him into his arms, brushing his face gently and smiled. “If we say nothing, the CP fans will be thrilled. They’ll take silence as confirmation but not all fans will think that way. Both of us still have a large number of solo stans.”

“To them, unless we explicitly confirm it, they’ll believe we’re just childhood friends. Spending New Year’s together with our families was nothing unusual. If we stay silent, they’ll just assume it’s because it’s not worth clarifying.”

Chi Yunxing considered that, his eyes flickering slightly.

After a while, he bit his lip and said, a little nervously, “Then… why don’t we just not explain?”

Duan Zhiyan’s breath caught. He looked down at him and asked softly, “Are you sure?”

Chi Yunxing shifted in his arms, looked up, and smiled faintly. “We’re going to go public eventually, aren’t we? Might as well start warming them up now.”

Something sweet bloomed in Duan Zhiyan’s chest. His gaze deepened, eyes like spring water overflowing with tenderness.

“Yunxing…”

Chi Yunxing gently pressed a finger to his lips, then tilted his head up and kissed him.

Duan Zhiyan cupped his chin with one hand, rubbing the back of his neck with the other, deepening the kiss.

…

They stayed in bed for quite a while longer before finally getting up and heading downstairs.

The rest of the family had already been awake for some time. Everyone was gathered around Grandma Chi, laughing about something. From the top of the stairs, Chi Yunxing could already hear the conversation.

“These fans really have sweet mouths,” said Duan Yu.

“Right? I almost want to hand out wedding candy already!” Yu Qiu laughed.

“They haven’t even made it official yet, and you’re handing out candy?” That was Chi Ling’s voice.

A pause.

Then Grandma Chi said slowly, “Who says they haven’t? They’re practically married already.”

Yu Qiu immediately laughed, “Exactly, exactly, just waiting for them to—”

“You’re finally up,” Tan Yao interrupted.

Everyone turned their attention to the stairs.

When Chi Yunxing heard that “you,” his face grew warm. He cleared his throat and greeted everyone.

Duan Zhiyan, meanwhile, looked completely unfazed. He even asked Yu Qiu, “Mom, what were you all talking about?”

Yu Qiu rushed to say, “Nothing! We definitely weren’t talking about you two.”

Chi Yunxing: “…”

Duan Zhiyan: “…”

Yeah, they totally were.

Sensing the awkwardness, Yu Qiu cheerfully changed the subject. “Hungry? The kitchen saved some food for you. Want me to heat it up?”

Chi Yunxing quickly said, “No need, we’ll do it ourselves.”

He grabbed Duan Zhiyan and hurried into the kitchen. He didn’t even need to guess, he was sure they’d been gossiping about the trending topics.

Sure enough, just as they were stepping into the kitchen, laughter echoed behind them again.

“These netizens are so cute!” Grandma Chi said cheerfully. “That’s why I loved watching the Secret Crush live chat—it was the best part.”

Once the kitchen door closed behind them, the laughter was finally cut off.

Chi Yunxing rubbed his face, muttering, “They definitely saw the trending tags!”

Still discussing it out loud!

Of course Duan Zhiyan knew. He’d heard them from the stairs too. He chuckled, “Embarrassed?”

Chi Yunxing glared, pushing him aside and grabbing the food from the fridge. “Why would I be embarrassed? There’s nothing to be embarrassed about! I already told my family about us—if they want to talk, let them. At worst…”

At worst, he’d pretend not to hear!

That last part was so quiet Duan Zhiyan didn’t catch it. “Hmm?”

“Nothing!” Chi Yunxing huffed.

Duan Zhiyan laughed but didn’t press.

…

Meanwhile, the debate on Weibo was raging.

After fans discovered the two photos, CP fans were ecstatic—sharing and celebrating all over the platform.

【This timing is perfect. It’s New Year’s Day! Happy New Year, everyone!】
【Happy New Year!】
【Congrats, congrats!】
【Hehehehehehehe】

Some CP fans, though, were cautiously nervous.

【This is great and all, but I’m scared we’ll get an official denial first thing in the morning QAQ】
【Sigh, can we just enjoy the sugar without talking about potential heartbreak?】
【Yeah! If I don’t read a denial, it doesn’t exist. No one can ruin my joy!】
【HAHAHA legendary mindset】
【Learned and noted!】

Meanwhile, solo stans started to chime in.

【Fine, it’s New Year’s—I won’t say anything. This is your last hurrah.】
【Let the CP fans have their fun. It’s a holiday.】
【Wow, everyone’s being so civil today!】
【Okay, I’m betting we’ll see Duan Ge’s denial tomorrow.】
【I’m betting on Yunxing.】
【In fact, let’s make a bet—if Duan Zhiyan posts, I’ll give one fan 999 yuan. If Chi Yunxing posts, I’ll give two fans 999 each!】
【Gambling, let’s go!】
【Hey rich girl, rig the draw for me?】
【Africa resident fan reporting in!】
【Why does Yunxing get two 999s? Fine—I’ll add two 888s if Duan Zhiyan posts!】
【OMG rich fans unite!】
【In that case, I’ll add to the pot too…】

Apparently, everyone had gotten a lot of red envelopes this year. Within half a day, the reward pool passed 20,000 yuan—with rich fans continuing to pile on.

CP fans saw this and got annoyed. Sure, a denial was likely coming but that didn’t mean only solo fans got to host giveaways!

One CP fan posted.

@ZhiXingIsReal: Fine, then I’m waiting for Yunxing and Duan Ge to announce their relationship. If they do, I’ll give 888 to 66 fans. Only CP fans! Just repost—no need to follow me!

That post went viral.

Just like the solo fans, CP fans joined in the giveaways and by evening, the total prize money from both sides had surpassed 100,000 yuan.

What solo fans didn’t expect… was that despite it being the evening of New Year’s Day, there was still no denial from either side.

Some started getting anxious:

【When are they gonna post??】
【Has Duan Ge been active on Weibo today?】
【Nope.】
【Maybe he didn’t see it?】

CP fans gleefully replied.

【Are you kidding? Every celeb has a PR team. You all know how fast Duan Zhiyan’s team usually is. If they haven’t denied it yet, maybe they just don’t think it’s worth denying.】

As smug as it sounded, even Duan’s fans had to admit that it was kind of true.

His manager, He You, was famous for being lightning-fast with clarifications. Sometimes rumors didn’t even get traction before He You had already shut them down. For the more outrageous ones, he even filed lawsuits.

Any long-time fan knew He You’s efficiency.

So how did they explain today’s complete silence?

【Are they just really busy today?】
【It’s New Year’s Day—they’re probably visiting relatives.】
【Relax, it’s still early evening. We’ve got time. Just wait.】

…

They did wait all the way to the second day of the new year and still no clarification.

CP fans were practically cackling at this point.

Solo fans were now officially panicking.

【What’s going on??】
【Still no statement?】
【Has Duan Ge’s team gotten lazy??】
【Yunxing’s team is usually fast too. Something’s off.】
【Am I… getting slapped in the face by my own idol?】
【Help, anyone got a logical explanation?】

A fan tried to calm everyone.

【Maybe Duan Ge thinks there’s nothing worth explaining? I don’t mean he’s admitting it—I mean he sees Yunxing as just a friend, and clarifying again feels unnecessary. He already explained this once before.】

【Yeah, that’s probably it. He posted once before clarifying, no need to repeat. It’s just CP fans stirring the pot again, I’m so sick of them.】

【That does seem most likely.】

【So basically, since he already said they’re just friends, he doesn’t think it needs repeating?】
【What else could it be? It’s not like they’re actually together.】
【Actually, I think they are together. Shipping CPs is fun—you guys just don’t get it.】
【???】
【Are you even a solo stan?】
【She’s not! Look at her profile—it’s full of ZhiXing CP posts!】

And just like that, the undercover CP fan got blocked. She shared the incident in the CP group chat, laughing hysterically.

[Can’t believe it’s been a full day and they still think we’re the delusional ones!]
[Even my friends who don’t ship CPs say it’s obvious now—but those stans are still in denial.]
[Hahaha it’s fine—we’ve got plenty of time. Someday they’ll announce it for real!]
[Exactly!]

Ironically, both solo fans and CP fans were now united in one thought.

We can wait. Sooner or later, one of them has to say something.

What none of them expected… was that they would be waiting until the seventh day of the new year.

On that day, Duan Zhiyan finally posted a Weibo—not to clarify anything, but to promote his new film. Worse still? He and Chi Yunxing were starring in it together again.

@DuanZhiyan: Scapegoat is a project I’ve been preparing for over a year. The script is finally finalized. Filming starts in half a month. Looking forward to working with @ChiYunxing again. ^V^

Fans: ???

【?】
【I’m speechless…】
【So you’re seriously not going to address New Year’s Day?】
【Don’t tell me they really are together?!】

One minute later, Chi Yunxing logged on and reposted it.

@ChiYunxing: Looking forward to working with Zhiyan Ge again! OuO I’ll try not to drag him down!

His fans:

【???】
【Baby… can you please explain your New Year post?】

CP fans replied to this fan with a smile:

【What’s to explain? Still celebrating New Year, of course!】
【Hahahahaha they didn’t deny anything! I’m losing my mind—they’re actually real!】
【OMG, a week-late New Year treat! I’m sobbing with joy!】
【ZhiXing forever!】
【Looking forward to the new project! Are you playing a couple again??】

…

Solo fans were fuming after seeing the comments.

【Can you CP fans stay in your own lane?!】
【Do you have to dance under every official post?】
【It’s just a collaboration post. Calm down.】

Just as CP fans were rolling up their sleeves to reply, a new notification popped up—

“Duan Zhiyan commented on Chi Yunxing’s post…”

@DuanZhiyan: How could you ever drag me down? I’m very happy to be working with Yunxing again.

Solo fans: !!!

You’re happy?!

We’re drowning here, and you’re happy?!

【Ge… are you seriously not going to address this?】
【Please, just look at the comments!】
【My heart can’t take this!】
【Ever since Yunxing debuted, he’s been tied to Duan Ge! Variety shows, web dramas, now movies too!】
【I can’t breathe…】
【At least give us some explanation—anything…】
【Please…】

…

Just as fans were begging for a response, Duan Zhiyan finally replied to a random user.

@DuanZhiyan: I don’t think there’s anything that needs clarifying. I really did spend New Year’s with Yunxing. There’s nothing more to say.

With that one comment, Weibo exploded.