TSBDRA 66: Next Year, Let’s Spend the New Year Too

…

The joint livestream was scheduled for the third day of the Lunar New Year.

To promote the new drama, several actors had lightly sacrificed their holiday break, turning on their livestream cameras from home, ready for the group promo in just a few minutes.

Xu Xishuang leaned back in a soft chair and glanced at the door. Right across from him was Yan Yushan’s room. The entire livestream setup he was using had been put together by Yan Yushan.

Even though Yan Yushan had already changed the door and promised it was soundproof, Xu Xishuang still felt a bit uneasy. He walked to the door and called out, “Yan Yushan?”

He waited a few seconds. No response. The door didn’t move. It really did seem soundproof. Relieved, Xu Xishuang went back to his chair, smoothed down the hair on his forehead, and waited for the livestream to begin.

At eight in the evening, as soon as the stream started, a flood of viewers poured in. Yan Yushan’s stream instantly passed 100,000 viewers, and Xu Xishuang’s also quickly passed 10,000. The screen was filled with flying comments—Xu Xishuang saw messages like 【Wife, waaa!】, 【Shuangshuang baby, I’m here!】 and paused for a moment.

After Yan Yushan greeted everyone, Xu Xishuang followed suit and said to the audience, “Hello, everyone. I’m Xu Xishuang, and I play Chen Muzhou in “Who’s Standing Behind the Door.””

Now that moderators were in place, everyone’s initial excitement had calmed down, and the stream’s comment speed began to slow. Xu Xishuang waited for the others to finish their introductions, then heard Yan Yushan say, “Today, we’re mainly going to talk about the plot and some fun behind-the-scenes stories from the set. If we see interesting comments, we’ll reply to them. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”

Yan Yao was snacking on fruit from a platter, watching the stream on her screen. In her view, Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan’s cameras were side by side at the bottom, their faces so close that if you changed the background to red, it would basically look like a wedding photo.

Suddenly, the comments in Xu Xishuang’s stream became uniform, all focused on one thing.

【Shuangshuang baby, do you have heating in your room? Is it really cold? Why are you still wearing a scarf?】

【Did you buy that red scarf yourself? It looks a little tacky】

【Beautiful people can make anything look good—even a sack over the head. That scarf is so old-fashioned, but Xu Xishuang still looks stunning in it】

【Why does Xu Xishuang keep touching the scarf? Looks like he really likes it】

Xu Xishuang touched the scarf around his neck again and explained to the chat, “I’ve been wearing it because it’s warm—I’m not cold…”

He sneaked a glance at Yan Yushan on the screen, just about to say it was a gift from him, when Yan Yushan smoothly took over the conversation, answering a question from his own comment section. “Who’s the big boss behind everything? You’ll figure it out after a few more episodes.”

“But for a question that simple,” Yan Yushan raised an eyebrow, “haven’t you guys seen the promotional posters?”

【Yan-ge’s sarcasm hits different, your Yan-ge is still the same old Yan-ge】

【Come on, it’s obvious—on the poster, Xu Xishuang is standing on the dark side, so the character he plays, Chen Muzhou, must be on the villain’s team】

【Wuwuwu I know Chen Muzhou’s probably not a good guy, but what if—just what if—he’s an undercover agent or something?】

【My moral compass follows my eyes, sorry, I just can’t believe that the refined and restrained Teacher Chen Muzhou could be a villain】

【I unlocked the early access, let me spoil you—next episode has Chen Muzhou killing someone and burning the body, it was so intense, my wife is crazy hot sksksk】

【? Are you forcing me to pay for early access? Fine, I’m doing it right now】

Yan Yao had been planning to quietly enjoy the beauty of her CP appearing on screen together, but of course, some comments in the chat just wouldn’t let her relax. She leaned closer to the screen, flustered, and hurried to explain, “Don’t start making stuff up!”

“Me and—no, I mean Lu Qingyu and Yan Zheng in the drama have no romantic storyline.” Yan Yao waved her hands quickly, emphasizing, “They’re just pure coworkers, a purely professional superior-subordinate relationship! The only romance line is between Chen…”

She was about to say Chen Muzhou and Yan Zheng, but those two were mortal enemies in the story, two sides locked in a life-or-death conflict. Any hint of romance between them existed only in her secret shipping fantasies—there was no official confirmation. As a hardcore YanXu CP fan, she couldn’t out herself like that, so she abruptly swerved to recover, “Only Chen Muzhou and Xiao He have a romantic storyline. Who’s Xiao He? You’ll find out later if you keep watching.”

【I watched it—Xiao He is Chen Muzhou’s first love, wuwuwu】

【?? Nooo! I always thought Chen Muzhou and Yan Zheng had that enemies-to-lovers energy!】

Seeing that comment, Yan Yao thought, Exactly! Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan—enemies in the drama, lovers in real life, hehe.

She pressed her lips together to hide her smile, using snacking as a cover for her giddy mood.

On the other side, Luo Huai and Qu Yue were also answering a few questions from the chat. When someone asked what they usually did after filming, Qu Yue thought for a moment and replied, “I have a lot of scenes with Luo Huai, so after filming we usually go over lines. Filming with Yan-ge is pretty stressful.”

The chat offered them some sympathetic comments. Everyone knew how serious Yan Yushan was about acting—so much so that even the director sometimes didn’t nitpick as much as he did. Actors who worked with him often needed two or three months after filming just to mentally recover.

“No, Yan-ge has never yelled at anyone,” Luo Huai replied to a comment. “He’s never scolded Senior Xu either. Actually, Senior Xu acts really well. He almost never needs retakes. He’s amazing.”

“Yan Yao-jie often chats with Senpai Xu after shooting—they’re friends,” Luo Huai continued. “Yan-ge also sits with Senior Xu after filming. They often eat and rest together… Uh, I don’t actually interact with them that much, so I don’t know anything about their relationship status. Please don’t ask me.”

Netizens gave Luo Huai a break for the moment and moved on to Qu Yue and Yan Yao’s livestreams, bombarding them with questions about whether Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan had already been involved back when they were filming together.

Qu Yue genuinely didn’t know and said so.

Yan Yao, on the other hand, was screaming internally, practically dying to announce to the world that Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan had definitely been a thing back then—and that they were already together now! But she held it in with all her might, stuffing fruit into her mouth like her life depended on it, terrified that one careless slip would give everything away.

Over in Xu Xishuang’s stream, the chat was still flooded with people calling him “baby” and “wifey.” Xu Xishuang had no idea how to respond to those comments and simply chose to stay silent.

Finally, a comment came through that wasn’t about his nickname. Xu Xishuang saw it and responded, “Thank you all for your concern. I’ll continue participating in A Trip on a Whim. My health is fine now, I’m doing great so no need to worry. But for now, let’s try to stick to questions about Who’s Standing Behind the Door, okay?”

【Okay, baby!】

【Xu Xishuang’s last role as Yu Xiang had me crying nonstop, but this one—Chen Muzhou—has me gritting my teeth in rage】

【Isn’t that even more proof of how good his acting is? Baby, once your health is fully back, take on more roles, we’ll always support you~】

【God, I watched the early access—those gloves! Black leather gloves—who has that as an X-P?! That scene where Xu Xishuang wears them to kill someone was so sexy I’m losing it】

【Gloves are nothing—if you don’t skip the opening and ending, you’ll see Xu Xishuang in a black suit, holding a black umbrella at a funeral. He’s got this lonely, delicate aura, like a newly widowed little wife—fragile and pitiful, the kind that makes you want to comfort (and ruin) him】

【Thanks, I’m hard. As of now, I’m Xu Xishuang’s new husband】

Meanwhile, on a second computer, Yan Yushan—secretly watching Xu Xishuang’s stream: ？

Yan Yushan’s lips pressed into a thin line. He moved his mouse and reported the two earlier comments, then told the moderators to mute the users.

Just as he was about to lean back, satisfied, a new comment popped up in Xu Xishuang’s livestream—harsh and glaring.

【So disgusting. I really don’t get what Yan Yushan sees in Xu Xishuang. What does he even have besides his face?】

Yan Yushan frowned, fingers ready to report, block, and mute in one go but before he could act, the comment was immediately drowned by a flood of replies.

【? Our Shuangshuang has drop-dead gorgeous looks and acting skills. Are you an orphan crying on the seventh day after your parents’ funeral or what?】

【Why do you care what Yan Yushan likes about Xu Xishuang? If you’re hungry, go eat in the bathroom—stop begging to be roasted here】

【Seriously? There are still people who think Xu Xishuang doesn’t deserve Yan Yushan? You think their relationship is any of your business? Who do you even think you are? If you don’t approve, do you think they’ll break up for your sake? Don’t flatter yourself, thanks】

【I’m dying—sisters above, if you’ve got more to say, please keep going】

Yan Yushan kept his eyes on Xu Xishuang’s face. Seeing that his expression remained calm, he figured Xu Xishuang hadn’t seen the offensive comment earlier.

Over on Yan Yushan’s own livestream, the chat had already cycled through a dozen rounds of new messages, but he hadn’t spoken a word, causing the comment speed to gradually slow.

Someone finally worked up the courage to ask:【Yan-ge, did you win over Xu Xishuang?】

Just as Yan Yushan looked away, his gaze caught that comment. He gave a small smile. “Can’t say just yet.”

The chat pressed on with more questions. Yan Yushan was just about to steer the topic away—after all, Xu Xishuang had said they’d announce it during the second season of the travel variety show—when his eyes froze for a beat.

He saw that the same person who had caused trouble in Xu Xishuang’s stream had now jumped into his own, posting something even more vile and out of line.

His expression turned cold immediately. Facing the livestream audience, he spoke firmly. “I’m an actor.”

The sudden shift in his tone made the entire chat fall silent. Even the other guests paused their interactions and turned toward him.

“My work, my acting—you’re free to comment on all of that,” Yan Yushan continued. “But who I like, who I pursue, who I’m with, who I marry—those are my choices. My private life has nothing to do with anyone else.”

Meeting Yan Yushan’s deep, dark gaze, Xu Xishuang tugged at his scarf and buried his face a little deeper into it.

Yan Yushan shifted his eyes away from him and continued, “I don’t want to see any more insulting comments about my personal life. I think you all know what I mean.”

Yan Yushan: “If I see one, I’ll sue one.”

The chat paused for a few seconds before rolling again.

【Yan-ge, badass】

【Your Yan-ge is still your Yan-ge—I’ve said this so many times I’m tired of hearing myself】

【Got it. We all got it. Yan-ge is seriously protective of his wife—wait, no—his husband】

【Xu Xishuang’s ears are red hahaha! Yan-ge’s about to win! Go, Yan-ge, may you win over the one you love soon!】

The livestream time happened to be up, and the actors quickly said their goodbyes to the audience before ending the stream.

Xu Xishuang turned off his camera, slowly leaned back in his chair, pulled down the scarf that had been covering his face, revealing a flushed face, and then raised his hand to cover his eyes, letting out a muffled groan of embarrassment from his throat.

No one could dislike that kind of open defense and favoritism—let alone when it came from someone he liked. Xu Xishuang felt the room’s heating must be too high. His whole body felt like it was about to catch fire—

Knock knock.

The knock on the door nearly made Xu Xishuang jump out of his chair. He stood up slowly, walked to the door, but didn’t open it right away. Instead, he asked, “What is it?”

He waited two seconds before realizing the soundproofing on the door was too good. Yan Yushan probably couldn’t hear him from outside. Reluctantly, he opened the door and looked up at him.

Yan Yushan stood there holding a bowl of hot porridge. He glanced at the redness in Xu Xishuang’s cheeks and held back a smile. “Eat something, warm your stomach.”

Xu Xishuang reached out to take it. “Thanks.”

He was just about to close the door when Yan Yushan leaned against the doorframe and asked, “Why are you still wearing the scarf?”

He knew the answer. He was just pretending not to!

Xu Xishuang held the bowl of porridge and looked up, meeting Yan Yushan’s gaze for a few seconds before glancing away. Embarrassed, yet completely honest, he replied, “Because I like it.”

That’s why he couldn’t bring himself to take it off.

Yan Yushan was struck by how adorable he was. He reached out and tugged lightly at the end of the red scarf. “I heard from Director Fei that the next episode of the show will be on an island. It’s going to be hot there—you won’t be able to wear a scarf. What then?”

In truth, the island location had been his suggestion. Even though Dr. Xu had said Xu Xishuang was in good health now, Yan Yushan still worried. He was afraid the cold might make him sick again and that his body wouldn’t be able to handle it so he picked a place with mild, pleasant weather.

“Then I won’t wear it. I’ll put it in the closet. Next year…” Xu Xishuang paused. He wasn’t sure if he would even have a next year. “I’ll wear it again next winter.”

Yan Yushan smiled. “You said it.”

He pushed his way into Xu Xishuang’s room, took the bowl of porridge from his hands and casually set it on the table. Then he leaned down and kissed him.

“We promised—next winter, we’ll still be together.”

“Next year, we’ll spend the New Year together too,” Yan Yushan whispered against the corner of his lips. “We’ll wear red scarves, watch the Spring Festival Gala, go to my parents’ house—okay?”

Xu Xishuang drew in a breath and, just before Yan Yushan kissed him more deeply, answered, “Okay.”

In a corner of the internet unknown to Xu Xishuang, right after tonight’s livestream ended, someone quietly posted in the YanXu CP super topic—

【YanXu Are Getting Married Today: Uh, just saying quietly… Don’t you guys think Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang’s room décor looks really similar? (photo)(photo)】

They followed up with another reply: 【Sure, the styles are different, but the layout is basically identical. And that curtain—unless I’m blind, isn’t it exactly the same? Oh right, not just the curtain, also the window, the floor, and the bed… Other decorations are easy to change, but these standardized features say a lot.】

【YanXu Are Getting Married Today: Bold guess—I think they’re living together.】

The post quickly caught fire, drawing in excited comments.

【Microscope sisters!!! Aaaah is it true is it really true!!】

【I noticed it too! I’m convinced they’re living together! This is clearly just different rooms in the same house! They’re definitely sleeping together at night hehehe】

Yan Yao, casually scrolling through Weibo, stumbled upon the post and without missing a beat, she swiftly switched to her newly registered CP fangirl alt and replied underneath.

【Yes! They are living together! I have inside info—next episode of the travel livestream, they’re going public!】