ASFSODS 23

“Cough cough cough cough cough—” Wen Chi suddenly burst into a coughing fit, startling everyone around him.

Zhou Yunbai worriedly jumped up slightly from her seat. “Xiao Chi, are you okay?”

Wen Chi waved his hand quickly. “No—cough—I’m fine—cough cough—just choked on my saliva.”

Only then did Zhou Yunbai relax. “Alright. That’s good.”

Main Livestream Room

[Wait, does this mean I won’t see Jiang Ge for three whole days? ]

[Xiao Bai is seriously the sweetest.]

[Who’s Xiao Chi texting? He keeps grinning at his phone.]

[Don’t tell me he’s spying on his own livestream again.]

[Xiao Bai is such a genuinely good person.]

[Spying on his own stream? What do you mean?]

[Xiao Chi peeked at his own livestream last night and got caught. Then he even chatted with us for a bit.]

[Teacher Jiang popped in too! Said a couple of things—it was legendary.]

[WHAT?! How did I miss that?!]

Wen Chi curled up slightly in his seat. For some reason, every time he messaged Jiang Siheng on WeChat, he felt the need to be sneaky about it. He subtly angled his phone away from the cameras before typing.

【Wen Chi: Teacher Jiang, don’t say weird stuff like that.】
【Wen Chi: I didn’t mean it like that.】

【Jiang Siheng: Oh.】

Wen Chi stared at the message. Somehow, it felt like Jiang Siheng was brushing him off.

Jiang Siheng was looking out at the trees flashing by the window. He then lowered his eyes and sent another message.

This time, Wen Chi didn’t reply right away like he usually did.

Jiang Siheng waited a long time. Even when the car pulled up at the airport, there was still no response.

Fans had already caught wind in the livestream that Jiang Siheng would appear at Haining Airport that morning. Some had come alone to wait, while others showed up with friends.

The security team got off the vehicle first, forming a circle. Jiang Siheng put on a hat and mask. Xiao Pang walked beside him, staying alert to the surroundings.

“AHHHHHH JIANG GE!!!”

“Jiang Ge! Good afternoon! Have you eaten yet?!”

“Jiang Ge, will you be livestreaming while you’re away? I can’t go three days without seeing you!”

“AAAAHHHHH JIANG SIHENG I LOVE YOU!!”

Screams and cheers surrounded him. Jiang Siheng responded to a few fans here and there, but there were too many voices and he couldn’t answer them all.

“Jiang Ge, are you taking on a new drama?”

“We’re looking forward to your next project! Jiayou, Jiang Ge!”

“When will you be back to film the variety show again?”

Amid all the cheers of “Jiang Ge, jiayou!” and “Jiang Siheng, I love you!”, a sudden voice pierced through the crowd. It was loud, playful, and impossible to ignore.

“JIANG SIHENG, YOU’RE JUST GONNA ABANDON YOUR WIFE FOR WORK LIKE THAT?!”

The crowd fell silent for a moment: “…”

Everyone wanted to laugh but also didn’t dare.

Xiao Pang tried to hold back a laugh as he turned to see which bold fan had shouted it.

Honestly, it was just a joke. Most fans knew better than to bring up sensitive topics like a star’s love life, especially not directly. And no one expected Jiang Siheng to actually respond.

But then—

“I’ll be back in a few days.”

At first, it didn’t seem like he was answering that question directly. Fans at the scene didn’t think much of it. But once they got home and started chatting with others online, the more they talked, the more something felt… off.

Holy sh*t.

Anyone who had watched Heartbeat’s Confession 2 knew exactly who Jiang Siheng’s “CP” was and who that “wife” joke was really referring to.

And the key point? He didn’t deny it.

No one had expected Jiang Siheng to answer that question, but he did with a simple,  “I’ll be back in a few days.”

What did that mean? It clearly meant: I’m not abandoning my wife—I’ll be back soon.

Fans who had finally decoded the deeper meaning behind that sentence leaned back in their chairs. 

So that’s what it was.

—

When they returned to the villa, it happened to be around dinner time. No one really wanted to cook, so after a quick discussion, they decided to put away their luggage, take showers, change clothes, and go out to eat.

Zhou Yunbai was finally able to wear her high-waisted jeans again, and her look was so polished, even the strands of her hair radiated elegance.

The restaurant had been booked by Qin Xiyu. Wen Chi figured it was probably some fancy place but that didn’t stop him from showing up in casualwear.

Before they left, Wen Chi sent Jiang Siheng a photo of everyone else walking ahead.

【Wen Chi: We’re heading out for dinner~】
【Wen Chi: Teacher Jiang, make sure to eat well even when you’re busy, okay?】
【Wen Chi: quoting Jiang Siheng Will you miss me? I’ll miss you sooo much, Teacher Jiang】

Jiang Siheng was probably busy and didn’t reply, but Wen Chi didn’t mind. He wasn’t the type to expect an instant response anyway.

No reply? That’s fine. Xiao Chi didn’t mind.

Now that they were one person short, one car was enough. Zhou Yunbai sat in the front passenger seat, while the long-legged trio—Wen Chi, Tian Yang, and Tong Xian’en—were all squeezed into the back.

“Should we stop by the supermarket after dinner?” Tong Xian’en suggested. “Looks like the fridge is pretty empty.”

Zhou Yunbai replied, “Sure, let’s just go to the same one we went to last time.”

Tian Yang said, “Sounds good.”

Wen Chi: “…” Out again? Suddenly, he felt tired.

The restaurant Qin Xiyu had booked turned out to be one of the Qin Group’s high-end Chinese restaurants. As soon as they entered, the manager and two waitstaff came out to greet them.

“Good evening, President Qin.”

Main Livestream Room

[Whoa—so this is what being a CEO feels like.]

[It’s literally a CEO romance novel come to life.]

[Look at Xiao Chi peeking around at the back, then glancing down at his own outfit—how do I describe it…]

[Adorable and hilarious.]

[shee we gotta stop acting like we’ve never seen the world before.]

Qin Xiyu gave a small nod in response.

The manager led all six of them to the third floor. This floor only had three private rooms, each with a custom name.

Just before entering, Wen Chi glanced at the name on the door—“Liuyue.” He wondered if it held some kind of special meaning.

The restaurant manager stood respectfully nearby with the menu in hand, recommending their signature dishes. Every so often, he would sneak a glance at Qin Xiyu, clearly terrified of doing anything to displease this VIP young master.

Sometimes, when service gets too attentive, it ends up making the guest uncomfortable and this was definitely one of those times. None of them had ever been treated with such top-tier and borderline-intense service before.

They didn’t say anything out loud, but the awkward expressions on their faces said enough.

Qin Xiyu cut the manager off mid-pitch. “You can step out. We’ll order ourselves.”

The manager didn’t miss a beat. He calmly placed the menu on the table, nodded, and quietly left with the two waitstaff.

The moment the door closed and it was just the six of them, Tian Yang immediately grabbed his tea cup and chugged the warm tea like he was parched.

“Holy sh*t—I was so tense just now I didn’t even dare to move.”

Wen Chi jumped at the sudden outburst and quickly refilled Tian Yang’s cup. “Here, drink up.”

Tian Yang: “…”

Zhou Yunbai and Tong Xian’en didn’t say anything, but both of them also quietly let out a breath, clearly just as relieved. This level of service had them completely thrown off.

Seeing everyone gradually return to their usual selves, Qin Xiyu placed two menus on the table. “Here, one for each side.”

“Tsk, you can tell just from the pictures that this place isn’t cheap,” Tian Yang said, pointing at one of the dishes. “Look at that plating. Look at that name.”

Qin Xiyu glanced over. “Just order what you want. No need to worry about the price.”

“Huh? We don’t have to pay?”

After a second, Qin Xiyu added, “They’ll just charge it to my card.”

Tian Yang lit up instantly. “President Qin, you’re too generous. Alright then, I won’t hold back.”

From his tone, everyone thought he was going to go wild ordering signature dishes. Yet in the end, all he got was one meat dish and one veggie, then closed the menu.

Tong Xian’en turned to look at him. “That’s all you’re getting?”

Tian Yang replied, “Yeah, then you guys will each order one or two more. Should be enough.”

Zhou Yunbai wasn’t sure which dishes were actually good, so she asked Qin Xiyu. He said he rarely ate at this restaurant.

Zhou Yunbai blinked. “Why not?”

Qin Xiyu: “It’s too far from the company.”

Wen Chi watched the four of them chatting and suddenly felt… a bit alone.

Another hour of missing Teacher Jiang. Sigh.

His phone, which was sitting on the table, buzzed softly. The screen lit up with several new unread WeChat messages. 

From Jiang Siheng.

Wen Chi didn’t even realize his eyes lit up at the sight of the name. He immediately picked up the phone and unlocked the screen.

【Jiang Siheng: I’m about to eat too.】
【Jiang Siheng: Okay.】
【Jiang Siheng: I’ll miss you a ton too】

Seeing that last message, Wen Chi’s smile practically reached his ears. He happily typed out a reply, and to his delight, Jiang Siheng replied instantly to every message. It seemed like he was free now.

Zhou Yunbai noticed Wen Chi grinning like a fool on his phone. She nudged Tian Yang with her elbow. When he turned to look, she nodded subtly in Wen Chi’s direction and whispered, “Look at Xiao Chi.”

Tian Yang and Tong Xian’en both glanced over.

Wen Chi sent a reaction sticker to Jiang Siheng, then put his phone down and reached for his teacup—only to freeze when he looked up and realized everyone was staring at him.

Zhou Yunbai rested her chin on one hand, smiling playfully. “You’re grinning so sweetly and looking so happy. Who’s the stinky man you’re chatting with?”

The teasing tone made Wen Chi’s face flush red. He mumbled, “It’s not a stinky man. I’m chatting with Teacher Jiang…”

Zhou Yunbai nearly melted on the spot. Wen Chi was just too cute, who wouldn’t love a boy like this?

Tian Yang gave a dramatic “oh ho~” and teased, “Jiang Ge’s only been gone for what—half a day? And you already miss him that much?”

“…”

Main Livestream Room

[HELP]

[Why does that line sound so cute when it’s just a normal chat]

[I just stopped by Jiang Ge’s limited stream and he was smiling at his phone too.]

[Tsk… these damn lovebirds.]

[Xiaobai teasing the baby is comedy gold every time.]

Tian Yang added half-heartedly, “Mm-hmm. Just a normal chat.”

Wen Chi: “…”

Tong Xian’en stared at Wen Chi for a few seconds, then quickly looked away.

Dishes began arriving one after another. The restaurant manager entered and stood behind Qin Xiyu’s chair.

“Would you like us to serve the dishes for you?”

This time, Qin Xiyu didn’t even need to say anything. Tian Yang, who just wanted to enjoy his meal in peace, quickly cut in, “No need, thank you. We’ll serve ourselves.”

The manager didn’t respond right away, he glanced at Qin Xiyu first. When he saw the young master wasn’t objecting, he understood that Tian Yang’s words had been approved.

The restaurant manager gave a slight bow which startled Wen Chi so badly he jumped up from his seat. For a second, he debated whether he was supposed to bow back, but before he could do anything, the manager had already exited the room.

Wen Chi stood there dumbfounded, and then heard Tian Yang burst into laughter from across the table.

Wen Chi sighed and sat back down. “That was pure reflex, seriously.”

Tong Xian’en looked over at Qin Xiyu and asked, “Mr. Qin, is the service at this restaurant always like this?”

Qin Xiyu replied casually, “No. They’re probably only acting like this because I’m here.”

Main Livestream Room

[HAHAHAHAHAHA]

[If President Qin got treated like this every time, he’d have fired the place long ago.]

[Socially anxious people would straight-up die here.]

[That bow totally scared the soul out of Xiao Chi.]

To be fair, while the service was a little overwhelming, the food was excellent. Every dish looked and smelled amazing, and the portions were small enough that the six of them finished everything with no leftovers.

Wen Chi patted his slightly rounded stomach through his shirt. It had puffed up a little from eating too much.

—

After dinner, they stopped by the supermarket to restock the fridge. While Qin Xiyu and Zhou Yunbai queued up at the register, Wen Chi and the others waited near the checkout area.

“Hi…” a cautious voice came from beside him. “Excuse me, are you Wen Chi?”

Wen Chi turned his head and saw a girl in a red sweatshirt looking at him. “Ah, yes. I’m Wen Chi.”

Her eyes lit up instantly. “Wow! I didn’t expect to run into you just while shopping. Hi Xiao Chi, I’m a fan!” She spotted Tian Yang and Tong Xian’en standing nearby and greeted them too. “Hi Yang Ge, hi En’en!”

“Hello,” they replied.

Then she noticed the cameras filming nearby. She discreetly scooted a few steps to the side, she hadn’t washed her hair the day before and wasn’t wearing any makeup today. No way was she letting herself be seen on camera like this, absolutely not.

“Oh, right! Xiao Chi, did you see Teacher Jiang’s livestream?” she asked, seeing that Wen Chi didn’t seem in a rush to leave.

“Hmm? No, not yet. Why?”

“I saw it on the HengWen CP tag,” she said excitedly. “Some of Teacher Jiang’s fans went to Haining Airport to send him off, and then one of the girls suddenly shouted—” She cut herself off mid-sentence, suddenly remembering the show was still being filmed live. She awkwardly tried to brush it off with a laugh, but then looked at Wen Chi, who was staring at her in total confusion.

Girl: “…”

Wen Chi blinked. “What’s… HengWen CP?”

“You don’t know?!” she gasped.

Wen Chi, who was usually a top-tier internet surfer, sometimes missed things if he was surfing the Pacific while drama was happening in the Atlantic. He shook his head innocently. “Nope.”

Just then, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, then quickly said to Wen Chi, “I can’t really explain here. Go check Weibo yourself, okay? Mama still loves you! Gotta run, byeeee!”

Wen Chi stared blankly at her as she ran off. Completely and utterly confused.

“HengWen CP…”

Tian Yang’s voice came from behind him. Wen Chi turned to see him looking at his phone.

“Oh, it’s the CP name for you and Teacher Jiang.”

Wen Chi’s Livestream Room

[OMG I’m crying hahahahahaha]

[That “Mama still loves you” nearly knocked my shoes off]

[Xiao Chi really didn’t know about HengWen???]

[Fan promoting the CP name directly to the main character LMAO]

Wen Chi was in absolute turmoil on the inside, but on the surface he kept a calm face and replied, “Oh, I see.”

He was already planning to sneak a look at it later tonight.

Tian Yang gave him a suspicious glance. What kind of weird tone was that?

Wen Chi kept a perfectly straight face.

—

That night, after showering, Wen Chi climbed back into bed. He turned off his mic pack, but left the camera on.

The boy curled up on the beanbag sofa and his pale ankles resting on the dark fabric. His toes were smooth and white, standing out starkly against the dark cushion.

Wen Chi’s Livestream Room

[Why did he turn off his mic? I’m losing it.]

[Ugh, now we can see but not hear.]

[Don’t tell me he’s lurking in his own livestream again.]

[No way. After he got caught last time, he watches openly now.]

Wen Chi held his phone, chatting with Qiao Congnan and Huo Yinshi while logging into his Weibo alt.

【Qiao Congnan: You gaming or not?】

【Huo Yinshi: Working overtime.】

【Huo Yinshi: If I blow up the company, is it illegal.】

【Qiao Congnan: Not sure. Try it.】

【Qiao Congnan: Where’s Wen Chi? Wen Chi? Wen Chi?】

Wen Chi was getting irritated by the endless WeChat spam. He had just clicked into the “HengWen CP Super Topic”, and before he could read a single post—

【Qiao Congnan: Wen Chi where are you.】

【Wen Chi: Don’t bother me, I’m eating melons.】

He switched apps.

【Qiao Congnan: What melons.】

【Huo Yinshi: His ears.】

Wen Chi switched back.

【Wen Chi: Not telling you.】

No way he was letting them know he was secretly reading the CP Super Topic about him and Jiang Siheng.

The tag was packed with followers and posts were updating every few seconds. With his alt account, Wen Chi openly followed the tag and began scrolling.

[Protecting the Best HengWen Planet – Another day of being sweetened by the HengWen CP. Includes a chibi fanart comic.]

[Crashing into Walls for HengWen – A mini-comic of what Teacher Jiang said at the airport today. Hope everyone likes it.]

[Candy Drop 0327 – A clear fan-shot video of the airport scene. Better quality, very detailed.]

[Chi’s Candyland, Featuring the Four Hengers – Game AU: chaotic sweetheart Wen Chi × cold but soft-for-his-wife ex-pro gamer Jiang Siheng. Chapter 3 now up.]

The posts were vibrant, detailed, and full of variety. Wen Chi felt like a new world had opened before his eyes.

Worried that any ultra-sharp-eyed fans might figure out what he was doing, Wen Chi tiptoed barefoot over to the camera. He forgot his mic was still off and softly said, “I’m going to bed now. Goodnight, everyone.”

What he didn’t realize was…

Wen Chi’s Livestream Room

[What did he say just now?]

[Did he forget he turned his mic off?]

[Look at his lips—he said goodnight, right?]

[Turn the mic on if you’re brave.]

[It’s only a bit past nine. Shouldn’t your celeb nightlife be just starting?]

[Whatever you said—goodnight.]

Wen Chi turned off the camera.

Finally, he could scroll in peace. He flopped onto the bed, rolled once, wrapped himself in the blanket, and began reading the top posts one by one.

[This fan writes so well.]

[The art is amazing. Damn, I really do look good.]

[What fic is this? Saving it to read later]

Then, he stumbled on the post about the airport video, that same one the fan at the supermarket had mentioned earlier.

At first, Wen Chi thought it was just a fan-made edit stitched together for laughs. But when he tapped in, he realized… it was an actual, real video.

The fan who recorded it had a surprisingly steady hand. No major shaking, and the distance from Jiang Siheng was close enough to catch everything clearly. In the beginning, it looked like a normal, orderly airport send-off. But midway through, a loud voice cut through the silence.

Fan: “Jiang Siheng, you’re just gonna abandon your wife for work like that?!”

Jiang Siheng: “I’ll be back in a few days.”

Wen Chi scrambled to turn down the volume, even ducking under his blanket to watch the rest.

The fan who edited the video had added a sweet background song and zoomed in for a close-up on Jiang Siheng’s expression during that reply.

It was like the entire screen had suddenly filled with pink bubbles.

Wait—something felt off.

Wen Chi quickly backed out of the video and scrolled to the comments. Which turned out to be even more out of control.

[Hehehe hubby’s making me drool]

[If only I could write, I’d slam out a 10k spicy fic on the spot]

[AAAAA Teacher Jiang didn’t even deny it, I’m DYING over here]

[HengWen… I’m done, this is lethal levels of sweet]

[I pray the show airs every second of the HengWen CP—no edits, no cuts]

[If they tell me it was all just for show once the season ends, I swear I’ll lose it]

[@Heartbeat’sConfessionOfficial don’t you DARE cut anything out]

Wen Chi backed out of the post entirely and shut his eyes.

This wasn’t good. Girls, listen—he and Teacher Jiang were really just good friends.

—

In another city, Jiang Siheng had just finished showering. His loose bathrobe slipped further open as he sat down on the leather sofa, revealing well-defined chest and abs, half-hidden beneath the fabric.

He picked up his phone and opened Wen Chi’s livestream. It had barely been a day, but after spending so many days together, the sudden absence left him feeling unaccustomed. It was like something was missing.

He thought he would see the boy’s face on screen.

Yet as soon as it loaded, the stream was already dark. The chat was full of people saying goodnight.

Jiang Siheng: “…”

【Wen Chi: Teacher Jiang I’m sorry I’m gaming right now I’m mid-fight no time to talk】

Wen Chi immediately muted his WeChat notifications, then let out a battle cry. “BROTHERS, CHARGE!”