TSBDRA 29: #YanYushangandXiXushiangRelationgship

“…Alright then,” Kong-jie said. “I’ll have someone suppress the trending topic right away.”

Kong-jie added, “Oh right, remember that crime drama I mentioned to you earlier? The funding’s already in place. All the artists from our studio have secured roles, and they’re fairly substantial parts so there shouldn’t be a problem. The director said he wants to personally cast the two most important characters. Supposedly, he already has someone in mind for one of them and is currently in talks.”

“Okay,” Yan Yushan replied. “Let him decide, no need to interfere.”

On the other side, Xu Xishuang was forcibly held down on the hospital bed by Dr. Xu.

Although Xu Xishuang felt fine, his pale complexion and unsteady steps were cause for concern. Lying face up on the hospital bed, his phone, placed beside his pillow, suddenly rang. He reached over and answered the call.

“Xishuang,” his manager, Zhao-jie, sounded anxious. “Did you see the trending topic? Do you need me to talk to Yan Yushan’s manager to get it suppressed?”

There was no way it could be completely removed now—trying to take it down would only make things more suspicious, as if confirming there was something going on between them.

Xu Xishuang blinked. “Let me check the trending topic first.”

He didn’t hang up, just switched to Weibo. Right away, he spotted the hashtag sitting in the top five, on the verge of switching from “Hot” to “Explosive.”

#YanYushanandXuXishuangRelationship

Xu Xishuang: …?

Wait, Yan Yushan hadn’t even trended with his official pairing yet, and now he was trending with him—a cannon fodder character? What was with the netizens these days?

Stunned, he clicked in and saw the whole thing had started with a set of paparazzi photos.

The broadcasting building of the Fruit Channel didn’t allow photos inside, so the paparazzi camped out by the garage. They managed to catch side-profile shots of him and Yan Yushan and even snapped them getting into the same car together.

Though Yan Yushan had already let go of him by then, the photo—maybe due to the angle—made them look extremely close, as if Yan Yushan was protecting him.

The comment section was chaotic. Some cursed the paparazzi, some believed it, some didn’t, some were already shipping them, while others were furiously ranting. Xu Xishuang glanced through it—besides the ones flaming people who thought he and Yan Yushan looked good together, most comments were aimed at him. After all, his fanbase wasn’t even close in scale to Yan Yushan’s. In the eyes of some Yan Yushan’s fans, just appearing in the same frame with him was seen as leeching popularity.

Xu Xishuang didn’t care about the comments. He wasn’t angry. He even felt like laughing. If he had to explain why, it was because from the moment he transmigrated into this book, he never saw this world as real.

To him, these netizens were just as much tools of the plot as he was. They were only here to help drive the relationship between the main characters forward. The more they flamed him now, the more sincerely they would bless Yan Yushan and Chi Siyuan later. That was just how the author wrote it, wasn’t it?

Xu Xishuang replied to Zhao-jie: “Suppress it.”

“Okay,” Zhao-jie said. “Yan Yushan’s manager already reached out to me. They want to suppress it too. They said the studio will soon issue a statement explaining everything. We’ll coordinate as needed.”

Xu Xishuang remained on the Weibo page. “Okay.”

He hung up. Not long after, Yan Yushan’s efficient studio issued a statement about the trending topic.

They explained that Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang met while filming Bitter Summer and became friends. During today’s show taping, Xu Xishuang suddenly felt unwell. Out of concern for a friend and to get him medical attention quickly, Yan Yushan took him to a private hospital, which is how the photos were taken.

The official Weibo of Can I Like You—which had been notified in advance—immediately reposted the statement, confirming the account and saying that all on-site staff could verify it.

Yan Yushan’s studio also stated that they would be suing the paparazzi for spreading false information and urged the public not to jump to conclusions.

Paparazzi were notoriously hard to deal with in the entertainment world. There had once been a famous lawsuit between a celebrity and paparazzi, which ended up classifying celebrities as “public commodities.” Since then, peeking into their private lives wasn’t considered illegal, and sneak photos became more rampant.

So even with the best legal team, all Yan Yushan’s side could do was sue for defamation and not for the act of taking the photos.

After reading the studio’s statement and recalling Zhao Jie’s reminder, Xu Xishuang reposted the studio’s Weibo with the caption: 【Thank you @YanYushan】

Yan Yushan quickly replied: 【You’re welcome.】

It was a very official, very polite, very pure interaction that cemented their relationship status as “just friends.”

The PR was swift, timely, and thorough. After seeing the full explanation, most rational netizens calmed down. Xu Xishuang, now labeled as Yan Yushan’s friend, even received concern from his fanbase. The minority of extreme fans couldn’t stir up much trouble, and their comments were soon buried under the more sensible ones. The trending post began to drop in ranking.

Soon, netizens were distracted by something else.

【What? Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang are filming Can I Like You?】

【What? To cover up the truth about their relationship, they even went so far as to shoot a whole dating show episode? (doge)】

【They must be the next episode’s guest stars! Ahhh! Thank you paparazzi for revealing the next guest lineup early (prayer hands)】

【It’s been ages since Film Emperor Yan did variety shows! I still have that clip of him cursing during the boy band audition show—it’s a family heirloom. I’m definitely watching the next episode!】

Excited fans swarmed the official account of the romance show Can I Like You, demanding trailers. They also tagged the three permanent guests, begging for spoilers.

To avoid trouble, none of the three regular stars responded. Though Bai Keke was itching to spill everything—including how Xu Xishuang exposed Tang Min—she held back and only confided in a trustworthy friend.

Bai Keke: “Isn’t it shocking? Did you ever think Tang Min was that kind of person? I really didn’t see it coming. He always seemed respectful to women. I even praised him to you last time. Sigh, turns out I was way off.”

Friend: “He really loves him.”

Bai Keke: “? I’m telling you gossip about Tang Min. Be serious.”

Friend: “Yan Yushan came on the show for Baby Xishuang. Baby Xishuang looked so confused about love—so adorable, boohoo! When he coughed up blood, Yan Yushan panicked. He carried Baby Xishuang out in his arms!”

Friend: “Tang Min dared touch Yan Yushan’s beloved? He’s done. The only good thing Tang Min’s ever done in his life is help bring Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang closer.”

Friend: “Tell me, with your insider knowledge—when will Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang go public?”

Bai Keke: “…Girl, Xu Xishuang’s totally clueless, and Yan Yushan’s a workaholic. If you’re waiting for them to go public and get married, you’d better keep dreaming.”

Friend: “I don’t believe you. You’re just being bitter. They’re getting married tomorrow.”

Unaware that netizens had already arranged their wedding and picked out the civil affairs bureau, Xu Xishuang’s initial test results came back. Dr. Xu looked at the report, his expression growing more serious.

To communicate efficiently, Dr. Xu skipped the jargon and explained simply, “Your current condition is far from optimistic.”

Xu Xishuang listened quietly, his left hand hidden under the blanket clenched tightly.

Seeing his calm reaction, Dr. Xu paused, then continued, “You should know very well that before the pregnancy, your body was no different from a normal male’s. After you got pregnant, an organ resembling a uterus formed inside you, although it’s not quite the same.”

“It increases your risk of dying from a C-section, and it doesn’t protect you like a real uterus would,” Dr. Xu’s tone was grave. “The increase in your bleeding episodes is because the fetus is absorbing too much of your body’s nutrients during its growth. That’s weakening you.”

Dr. Xu advised him, “From now on, you need to eat more nutritious foods and gradually increase your physical activity. I’ll explain all of this to Mr. Yan shortly.”

“Now,” Dr. Xu took the phone from Xu Xishuang’s right hand, “You’re a patient. Stop overthinking, don’t stress, go to sleep and no more phone.”

Xu Xishuang really was getting sleepy. He slowly closed his eyes, and before long, his breathing grew steady as he fell into a deep sleep.

Dr. Xu quietly left the room, closed the door behind him, glanced down at the lab report in his hand, sighed, and headed to the small park downstairs to find Yan Yushan.

Right after posting on Weibo, Yan Yushan got a call from Jiang Yangze.

“Yan-ge, your—no, I mean—is Xu Xishuang okay?” Jiang Yangze asked. “Also, are you two really just friends? I’m not buying it.”

“You’re overthinking. Xu Xishuang is still undergoing tests,” Yan Yushan replied. “Stop asking. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

“Wait, wait,” Jiang Yangze said quickly, “It’s just—your parents want you to come back and take over the company again. I overheard it from my dad. Be careful, your older brother might come looking for you personally.”

“Mhm,” Yan Yushan glanced at a second incoming call on his screen. “He already is.”

Jiang Yangze: “Oh, well then… I’ll hang up. Good luck, Yan-ge.”

Yan Yushan: “Okay.”

As the call ended, Yan Yushan looked at the screen displaying “Yan Jingmo” and hesitated for a moment before answering.

“When are you coming back?” Yan Jingmo asked bluntly. “Had enough fun in showbiz? Mom just saw the trending topic and told me to ask if you’re dating that little celebrity. If so, bring him home. She says you’re at the age to settle down. Stop being so willful.”

“I’m not messing around. Aren’t you running the company just fine? Why do I have to go back?” Yan Yushan sounded tired. “And I’m not in that kind of relationship with him. Tell Mom to stop overthinking.”

Why did everyone think something was going on between him and Xu Xishuang?

Yan Jingmo was likely in his office—Yan Yushan could hear the sound of papers being sorted. After organizing them, Yan Jingmo said calmly, “I’m not interfering. How you deal with Mom and Dad is your own business.”

“If you really like him, confess already. Go chase him. Bring him home,” Yan Jingmo paused. “Don’t be like me.”

The two brothers fell silent for a while.

“I understand.” Yan Yushan finally spoke. “Ge, my movie is premiering soon. I’ll reserve a ticket for you. You have to come.”

Yan Jingmo: “Okay.”

After ending the call, Yan Yushan looked up to see Dr. Xu approaching.

After dealing with so many people, Yan Yushan looked a little worn, but he immediately asked, “How’s Xu Xishuang?”

“Not great,” Dr. Xu frowned.

He explained Xu Xishuang’s condition in detail and sent over a preliminary nutrition plan, which would be updated later.

“My earlier assumption may have been wrong,” Dr. Xu said. “Given his current state, his random bleeding will become even more unpredictable—it might not always be triggered by emotional stress.”

Yan Yushan froze.

“…Not necessarily caused by mood swings?” he asked again.

Dr. Xu nodded. “Right. Emotional shifts or even minor physical discomfort could lead to bleeding and it’s going to happen more frequently. You need to be careful.”

“Got it,” Yan Yushan rubbed his knuckles, unsure how he felt.

A part of him was worried about Xu Xishuang’s health and a part of him couldn’t help wondering that maybe Xu Xishuang didn’t dislike him as much as he thought.

Dr. Xu added, “He’s asleep upstairs. You can go see him—just keep it quiet and don’t wake the patient. Once he wakes up, take him home. Make sure he eats well, exercises, stays positive, and takes his meds on time.”

“Mhm,” Yan Yushan stood up. “Thank you, Dr. Xu.”

Dr. Xu smiled. “No need.”

Yan Yushan went upstairs, gently pushed open the hospital room door, and sat beside Xu Xishuang’s bed.

His face wasn’t as pale as before, with a faint flush of color returning. Soft black hair lay against his cheeks as he slept soundly—more beautiful and delicate than a fairy tale’s Sleeping Beauty, as if he might vanish at any moment, like frost melting under summer sun.

Yan Yushan slowly reached out, careful not to wake him, and gently held his slender wrist, tucking his exposed arm back under the blanket. He gazed at Xu Xishuang’s sleeping face for a long while, then silently tilted his head back, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard.