ASFSODS 67

After another round of sleep, Wen Chi felt like he had been in a daze. His head was heavy, and his eyelids were sluggish. He forced himself to get up, splash some cold water on his face, and wake up.

Back in his room, Wen Chi stood for a few seconds, staring at the disheveled bed. Wasn’t there supposed to be another person in this bed?

Wen Chi: “…”

Where did Jiang Siheng go?!

Wen Chi hurriedly changed clothes and went downstairs. Clearly, it was already late, and before he even reached the first floor, he could already hear the lively discussion downstairs.

Main livestream chat:

[Oh, looks like the little brother finally woke up?]

[Wow, your livestream was the only one that didn’t start! Wen Chi, think about it!]

[It’s almost 11 a.m., and you just woke up? You probably don’t even know when your husband came, huh?]

[Wait, when did Jiang Ge and Mr. Qin come back?]

[This afternoon, everyone is going to the beach! Yay!]

Wen Chi saw the man lounging on the small sofa. Not long ago, they were still embracing each other in bed, but now, for some reason, a strange feeling suddenly surged up from his heart.

Zhou Yunbai noticed and said, “Xiao Chi, you’re awake. Were you tired from yesterday?”

Wen Chi responded, “Yeah, I’m fine…”

There was still an empty spot on the sofa, and Wen Chi was about to sit beside Zhou Ruoyao. Just as he was about to turn and pass by Jiang Siheng, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the man subtly shifted to the side, his expression calm.

Wen Chi paused, vaguely understanding Jiang Siheng’s meaning, but also feeling a bit nervous about this hidden and unnoticed little gesture between them. He casually sat down beside Jiang Siheng as if everything was natural.

Zhou Ruoyao, who had already made room for Wen Chi next to him, shot Jiang Siheng a glare full of hostility.

The small two-person sofa was just enough to fit two tall men, but because both of them had such impressive physiques, they looked a bit cramped sitting there. Their knees brushed against each other.

Main livestream chat:

[Sisters! Screenshot this! Everyone screenshot!!!]

[Great, now we’ve got the perfect background for social media. We’ve got wallpapers for computers, phones, and tablets.]

[Please, we even have a couple’s profile picture now!]

[Are you all crazy…]

[This scene is just so visually pleasing.]

Because Wen Chi was wearing a microphone around his collar, he didn’t want to ask Jiang Siheng when he woke up. He overheard Zhou Yunbai and Yao Yiling talking about going to the beach in the afternoon and assumed it was a plan between the two girls. Curious, he asked, “What are you doing at the beach? Playing?”

“Not exactly,” Yao Yiling laughed. “We’re going to play some games at the beach, and then we’ll all have a meal at a restaurant by the sea. We’ll enjoy the sea breeze and listen to the waves.”

Tian Yang, overhearing, said, “From the way you describe it, I suddenly feel like playing games is a more sophisticated activity.”

“I haven’t been to the beach in two years,” Zhou Yunbai added.

Wen Chi responded with a casual, “Oh,” but though his expression didn’t change, Jiang Siheng, sitting next to him, seemed to sense that Wen Chi’s mood had shifted a little.

Jiang Siheng moved a little closer, his gaze on Wen Chi’s long, curled lashes, fighting the urge to reach out and touch them. He asked, “What’s wrong? Are you hungry?”

“Hmm? No,” Wen Chi shook his head, then looked at Jiang Siheng. After a few seconds, his eyes curved into a small, silent smile.

Wen Chi finally understood why he had felt that strange sensation earlier. It was because this was the first time they were interacting as a couple on the show.

Jiang Siheng saw Wen Chi smile and couldn’t help but chuckle softly himself. “What are you laughing at?”

Wen Chi bit his lip and said, “Nothing.”

The small sofa seemed like their little world, as though an invisible barrier surrounded them, making others feel like they couldn’t intrude.

Tong Xian’en stood behind the sofa with a bottle of mineral water in his hand, facing Wen Chi and Jiang Siheng. Xu Yuqing walked over to him, standing beside him. Seeing that Tong Xian’en had been giving him cold looks since yesterday, Xu Yuqing spoke gently, “What are you looking at?”

Tong Xian’en glanced at him indifferently, then looked away, replying coldly, “Nothing.”

“Since yesterday, it seems like you’ve been in a bad mood,” Xu Yuqing said thoughtfully, his expression serious as if he genuinely cared about what was bothering Tong Xian’en. “Did I upset you in some way?”

Xu Yuqing’s livestream chat:

[Ugh, A-Yu is so gentle!!! How can I get him to be my husband? I’m waiting for a reply, urgent!]

[First, sister, you need to change your personality before you ask that question.]

[I hate that I’m not a guy #bigcry #angry#]

[Being a woman is also great…]

[? I never said being a woman is bad. Why are you arguing with me?]

[6, did you see me arguing with you?]

[Big sis, you’re arguing without realizing it.]

[Stop fighting! A-Yu already said that we’re all family, no fighting. Do you want to make him upset?]

[Exactly, if you want to fight, go somewhere else. Stop acting crazy here.]

Tong Xian’en looked at Xu Yuqing’s fake, pretending-to-care demeanor and felt disgusted, but he couldn’t show it on camera. “No.”

He originally wanted to say “It’s none of your business,” but then paused, realizing it might actually involve Xu Yuqing. He couldn’t lie to himself.

Tong Xian’en didn’t know that his simple “No” would spark a huge amount of anger within Xu Yuqing’s fan group.

In one of Xu Yuqing’s smaller fan groups, only about a dozen people, all long-time or high-contributing fans, were some with significant influence in the group.

【[Admin] XiaoTianwholovesYuqingGe: What’s with that Tong Xian’en guy? Is he stupid?】

【[Admin] ZhouzhouandQingqing: Don’t bother with him, Xiao Tian. He’s just a dumbass who only knows how to read lines [wiggle.gif]】

【[Admin] XiaoTianwholovesYuqingGe: I feel so bad for Ayu. I’ve never seen him care about someone like this before. Why can’t that person be me [crying][killthemall.jpg]】

【A-YuislikeJade: We love A-Yu because he’s gentle and sincere with everyone. His kindness shouldn’t be used against him [hearts]】

【KissYuqingGe: True. Oh, by the way, didn’t A-Yu say he thought that limited-edition pair of sneakers from NA looked amazing? I just saw on NA’s official site—they’re dropping the night after tomorrow at 10 PM. Why don’t we all chip in to get him a pair? Surprise him?】

【[Owner] 99TimesInLoveWithAYu: Sounds good. How much are they?】

【[Admin] XiaoTianwholovesYuqingGe: I’m in, my dad just sent me this month’s allowance.】

【KissYuqingGe: 730,000.】

…

In the main live broadcast room, Xu Yuqing’s phone rang a few times. He glanced at Tong Xian’en, left him with a line, “If you’re upset, you can talk to me anytime,” and turned to leave. His expression as he spoke made it seem like Tong Xian’en was his closest confidant.

A few hundred meters ahead of the guesthouse was a wide, unobstructed view of the ocean. Xu Yuqing walked over to stand under a tree, took out his phone, and unlocked it by swiping up.

【Assistant Xiao Tang: Qing Ge, I’ve already organized the fans according to your instructions.】

【Assistant Xiao Tang: [Image]】

【Assistant Xiao Tang: But those shoes are so expensive. I feel like with just these dozen or so people, it might not be enough. What do you think…?】

Xu Yuqing leaned against the tree trunk, one hand in his pocket as he typed out a reply, a smile playing on his lips. To anyone else, it just seemed like he was chatting.

【Xu Yuqing: Is that all the fans I have? Have the rest of them disappeared? If they’re useless, why should they even call themselves my fans?】

【Xu Yuqing: I gave you the power to manage the fans because I expected you to actually use it.】

【Xu Yuqing: Do you understand, you useless thing?】

On the other side of the chat, Xiao Tang tightened her grip on the phone. Her friend, who noticed the strange expression on her face, curiously asked what was wrong.

Xiao Tang shook her head and smiled faintly. “It’s nothing.”

Her friend nodded but then noticed the wallpaper on Xiao Tang’s phone was of a young man. “Hey, isn’t that a celebrity? What’s his name again? I remember a while ago, you were at the airport and almost got bumped by some fan who was picking someone up. I think he was the one who helped you, right? He seemed like a nice guy.”

“Yeah, his name is Xu Yuqing.”

Her friend lost interest and looked away. “Oh, I see.”

Xiao Tang opened WeChat again and clicked on the one pinned contact at the top, replying, “Got it.”

…

When Wen Chi found out that this episode was being filmed on the island, he prepared a set of beach clothes that would be perfect for playing by the sea.

The production team hadn’t given them any clothes so they were allowed to wear their own.

Jiang Siheng was downstairs waiting for Wen Chi while casually scrolling through WeChat messages on his phone. He noticed that the chat with the assistant director from earlier had disappeared. He didn’t think much of it, slipping his phone into his pocket and continuing to wait.

“Xiao Bai! Xiao Bai! Do you have any sunscreen? Can you spray some on me?” Tian Yang skipped behind Zhou Yunbai, full of excitement, even though he knew they were going to the beach to do a game task. Everyone was still very excited.

“Peizhi, turn around and bend down a little. You’re too tall.” Yao Yiling casually pouted at Chen Peizhi.

Chen Peizhi sighed in resignation. “I don’t need sunscreen.”

“No way! What if you get sunburned? Even though the sun doesn’t look strong, the UV rays by the sea are really harsh.” Yao Yiling stared at him.

“Fine, fine,” Chen Peizhi said, complying without question.

Jiang Siheng stood alone in the middle of the living room, watching Chen Peizhi and Yao Yiling openly flirt with each other. After a while, he clicked his tongue.

The sound of light footsteps came from the stairs. Jiang Siheng turned his head to look up, and two delicate white legs appeared in his line of sight.

Wen Chi was wearing a white base shirt with jellyfish print graffiti, paired with matching beach shorts. He wore white canvas shoes, looking fresh, comfortable, and stylish.

“Teacher Jiang, I’ve changed my clothes!”

Wen Chi was about to jump down the last two steps of the staircase. Jiang Siheng’s eyes widened and without thinking, he quickly stepped forward, his hands reaching around Wen Chi’s waist and lifting him like a child, placing him gently on the ground. His voice carried a hint of reproach, “What are you jumping for? What if you sprain your ankle?”

Wen Chi stomped his foot, his emotions slightly agitated. “It’s fine, I’ve got great balance.”

Jiang Siheng: “…”

Wen Chi saw that Jiang Siheng hadn’t changed into beach clothes, still wearing the same jacket, short sleeve, and jeans from earlier. He asked, “Teacher Jiang, aren’t you going to change?”

Wen Chi’s fair and toned calves were hard to ignore. His legs were beautifully shaped—not too slender but not overly muscular like other boys.

Jiang Siheng lowered his eyes, hiding the shift in his expression, and murmured, “Change into what?”

“You have to wear loose and comfortable clothes to the beach, like what I’m wearing now.”

Jiang Siheng nodded.

Wen Chi stared at him for a few seconds, then snorted.

…

Jiang Siheng’s livestream chat:

[…Not gonna lie, Wen Chi and Jiang Ge just looked like my mom making a dissatisfied noise when my dad said something dismissively to her.]

[Been through enough of this, really.]

[Is Jiang Siheng a leg fan? I counted and within less than ten minutes, he looked at Wen Chi’s calves six times!!]

[Huh? Suddenly feeling shy.]

Wen Chi asked Jiang Siheng to take a few photos for him. He wanted to send them to his parents and his two friends who were at work, especially to let Qiao Congnan and Huo Yinshi know he was going to the beach.

While flipping through his phone, Wen Chi noticed a message thread buried under other notifications with the assistant director from around 6 AM that morning.

With confusion, he opened the chat and saw messages sent from “himself” and almost blacked out in disbelief.

What is this?!?!