ASFSODS 26

Huo Yinshi hadn’t expected to run into Wen Chi here. Haining wasn’t a small city, so to randomly end up at the same sushi restaurant, this had to be fate.

He glanced around and, not seeing any camera crew, he asked, “Aren’t you filming a show?”

“Yeah,” Wen Chi replied cheerfully. Seeing a good friend unexpectedly like this made him genuinely happy.

“Then what about…” Huo Yinshi paused, “…the cameramen and stuff?”

“We’re eating out, so it’s inconvenient to have a whole setup. They gave us this little camera instead.” Wen Chi pointed at the small camera clipped to his clothes.

Huo Yinshi gave a thumbs-up. “Nice.”

Jiang Siheng had been watching them from the side, expression darkening slightly as Wen Chi chatted and laughed with a man he didn’t recognize. He walked over. “Xiao Chi.”

“Ah?” Wen Chi turned instinctively at the sound of his name.

Jiang Siheng stood beside him, glanced at Huo Yinshi, then looked at Wen Chi. “A friend?”

It took Wen Chi a few seconds to react. “Oh! Teacher Jiang, let me introduce you. This is my childhood friend, Huo Yinshi.”

Then to Huo Yinshi. “Ah Shi, this is Jiang Siheng. Teacher Jiang.”

Huo Yinshi, reserved around strangers, gave a polite nod. “Hello.”

Jiang Siheng offered a faint smile. “Hello.”

Wen Chi patted Huo Yinshi’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s eat together.”

Huo Yinshi glanced at the camera again. “You’re filming. It’s probably better if I don’t appear on camera. You two go ahead.”

Wen Chi’s smile faltered a little. Although he and Huo Yinshi—and Qiao Congnan—were all based in Linquan, they were all busy with work. Sometimes, over a month would go by without a chance to meet up.

Huo Yinshi noticed Wen Chi’s lips begin to droop. Years of friendship made him want to just say “fine, I’ll come”—but he stopped himself. He knew how important this show was to Wen Chi, who had spent nearly three years in the entertainment industry. Every role had been a minor extra, with barely a minute of screentime and often repeating a single movement dozens of times.

Huo Yinshi remembered one summer when he had come back from a business trip. It was boiling hot, and Wen Chi had answered the door in gym shorts, his legs covered in bruises.

Jiang Siheng, quietly listening to their conversation, noticed how Wen Chi was trying to hide his disappointment. He reached out and gently ruffled his hair, then turned to Huo Yinshi. “Mr. Huo, you’re welcome to join us. Being on camera isn’t a problem.”

Wen Chi quickly added, “Yeah, yeah!”

Huo Yinshi looked at Wen Chi.

Seeing him hesitate, Wen Chi just reached out and pulled him along. “Three, please,” he told the hostess.

The hostess had already recognized Wen Chi and Jiang Siheng. Now seeing that the third handsome guy also knew Wen Chi, she had a quiet moment of shock and then let out a very professional smile. “Right this way.”

Jiang Siheng hadn’t expected to be seated alone while Wen Chi and Huo Yinshi sat together.

“When did you get to Haining? Why didn’t you tell me?” Wen Chi asked.

“Yesterday.”

“Oh. When are you heading back?”

“Tomorrow.”

Wen Chi grinned. “If Er Qiao knew we were hanging out right now, he would be dying of jealousy.”

From the other side of the table, Jiang Siheng watched them chatting animatedly. For a moment, it felt like they were the ones in the dating show CP.

Only when Wen Chi noticed did he offer an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Teacher Jiang. I was just really happy to see an old friend.”

Jiang Siheng had a feeling the next part of that sentence was: …so I forgot you were here.

Still, seeing Wen Chi so cheerful, he lost the urge to play the jealous card.

“No worries.”

“Great! Then Teacher Jiang, take a picture for us?” Wen Chi handed over his phone, then turned to Huo Yinshi. “We’ll post it and tag Er Qiao.”

Huo Yinshi nodded. “Petty move. I like it.”

Jiang Siheng: “…”

He snapped a few pictures. When he handed the phone back, his expression was hard to describe. He didn’t know who this Er Qiao was, but he was starting to worry about that guy’s mental stability.

Wen Chi and Huo Yinshi sent the photos to their group chat and tagged Qiao Congnan. Less than a minute later, both of them were grinning devilishly as they watched Qiao go nuts in the chat.

Wen Chi set his phone aside. He had ordered hellfire ramen topped with pickled bamboo, pork slices, fish cake, and a soft-boiled egg—spicy and tangy. He also added fries, grilled chicken wings, and a sushi platter.

After slurping some soup, he looked up at Jiang Siheng’s question. “Where do you want to go after this?”

Wen Chi replied, “Let’s just head back. You just finished working, it’s better to rest.”

Off to the side, Huo Yinshi figured Wen Chi just didn’t want to go out again.

Jiang Siheng simply said, “Okay.”

Huo Yinshi raised a brow, mildly surprised.

As the meal came to an end, Wen Chi felt reluctant to part. It really had been a long time since all three of them had met up.

Huo Yinshi didn’t seem too sentimental. He patted Wen Chi’s head. “Alright, I’m off.”

Wen Chi swatted his hand away. “Enough with the head-patting! Aren’t you guys sick of it?”

Huo Yinshi replied with a simple, “Oh.”

But as he walked off alone toward his hotel, Wen Chi pouted a little.

Jiang Siheng, watching quietly, asked, “You’ll miss him?”

Wen Chi nodded. “Yeah. A little.”

Jiang Siheng: “…”

Wen Chi turned to him. “Let’s go, Teacher Jiang.”

They walked a bit before Wen Chi suddenly remembered what Jiang Siheng had said in the elevator:

Tomorrow is Sunday.

Sunday.

It has been a week already.

Wen Chi stopped abruptly and turned to Jiang Siheng.

“Hm? What is it?”

Wen Chi repeated his exact words back to him.

Jiang Siheng found himself staring into those clear eyes that always seemed to see right through him.

“…Mhm.”

Wen Chi patted his shoulder. “It’s alright, bro. I get it.”

Jiang Siheng had the vague feeling something was… off.

Around ten that night, the production crew quietly knocked on everyone’s door. Since most of the livestreams were still going, viewers could clearly see them being handed sealed envelopes.

[Here it comes, the long-awaited letter-writing segment!]

[Finally! I’ve been waiting to see what they’ll say!]

[They probably won’t switch partners. Except maybe the same-sex pairs, but not President Qin and Xiao Bai.]

[That’s how I know you’ve never watched this show before.]

[I just want HengWen CP to last forever ahhhh!]

[Jiang Yingdi and Wen Chi are so compatible. They better not get swapped.]

Each guest was also given a rose-shaped wax seal. They had to seal the letter and drop it in the mailbox outside their door.

Back in his room, Wen Chi stared at the blank paper, frowning. He had no idea what to write.

[Just go full-on romantic. Give Teacher Jiang a confession letter!]

[Or write “husband” all over the page.]

[Awww his little frown is so cute.]

[Is there a word count limit?]

[Nope, write whatever you want.]

[I remember in last season someone only wrote four characters.]

[Yeah yeah yeah—it was “you’re pretty nice.” So lame.]

[Totally. I cringed for their whole CP.]

Wen Chi thought for a long time before carefully writing his first character.

[Xiao Bai just turned hers in—first one in the mailbox!]

[Whoa, Tong Xian’en and Tian Yang just went back-to-back.]

[Movie Emperor Jiang’s done too.]

[Only Xiao Chi is still struggling with the letter.]

Half an hour passed.

[Yo, Wen Chi’s still writing.]

[Everyone else’s streams are black screens. I came here for the drama.]

[He hasn’t finished yet?]

[It’s just one letter. Why’s it so hard?]

[This is so slow omg.]

[Ugh go away. Why is the internet full of annoying people.]

[Don’t worry about them, Xaio Chi! Take your time.]

[If it turns out he only wrote like, two sentences, I’ll actually cry-laugh.]

The audience waited… and waited… and finally saw him let out a massive yawn.

[Bro really wrote himself sleepy.]

Wen Chi shook his head like a sleepy puppy, then neatly folded the letter, placed it in the envelope, and sealed it with the wax stamp.

Both envelope and seal were a deep, rose red.

He crept out of his room. The house was quiet but he could still hear the production staff chatting nearby.

Not in the mood to eavesdrop, Wen Chi dropped the envelope into the mailbox. A mosquito bit his exposed ankle, leaving a small bump.

He crouched down to scratch it, grumbling, “Seriously, if any mosquito repellent brand owners are watching, I’d make a great spokesperson.”

[Dead. Which celeb just straight-up asks to endorse mosquito spray?]

[Don’t laugh—SixD is actually a big brand.]

[Hey, a brand deal’s a brand deal. ChiTang would support it.]

[ChiTang is Wen Chi’s fandom name. So cute.]

[Super cute, omg.]

Back on the third floor, Wen Chi ran into Jiang Siheng, who was just stepping out of his room.

“Teacher Jiang.” Wen Chi’s gaze scanned his hands.

Jiang Siheng noticed and said, “I already turned mine in.”

“So I’m the last one?” Wen Chi pointed at himself. “Why did everyone else finish so fast?”

Jiang Siheng smiled. “Did you write a lot?”

“Not really—” Wen Chi suddenly stopped, eyes narrowing. “Wait. Are we even allowed to say?”

Jiang Siheng: “…” So close to getting it out of him.

Wen Chi saw him go speechless and burst into laughter. “Didn’t expect that, huh, Teacher Jiang?”

Didn’t expect it, indeed.

And yet Jiang Siheng couldn’t help but think— Wen Chi really was too cute.